GrimmFall: Intertwined Legacies
by ZAFT Convoy
Summary: Many tales intertwine with one another, and GrimmFall is no exception. Heroes and villains find their stories crossing paths with one another, two empires have their histories intermingle, and two dimensions are connected through one mission. The future hold many secrets, revealing not all is as it seems either. Who is a bad guy, and who is a good guy, is revealed in legend...
1. Darkness of Deceit

**New GrimmFall story! We have an interesting prologue too.**

**Note: If any readers have an account, then please review using your account please. If you are too lazy to log in, then at least leave your account name so I can know who you are. If any reader does not have an account, then at least use a consistent name when reviewing so I can respond in a more personal manner, as the name 'Guest' does not seem too personable to me.**

* * *

In his lair, Sammael frowned to himself. There was something off about those people who were excavating the ruins. He could sense it. Looking back at one of his trust followers, he waved her over. It was none other than Cree Lincoln, a fox Faunus who was now a member of his forces. She walked over.

"What do you want, Sammael?" Cree asked, trying to keep the bite out of her voice. Ever since it was revealed that Sammael had killed her parents, or rather, had their bodies in his lair, she was filled with nothing but regret, shame, and rage towards him. Regret at her own actions, shame she had turned her sister against her, and rage at the fact Sammael had her parents' bodies in his lair.

However, Cree was trying to plan her escape, if only to help protect her younger sister, the Candy Elemental Abigail Lincoln.

Sammael gave her a smile, despite it not being tender. "I have a mission for you." He said as he turned to face her.

"And what would this mission be?" The fox Faunus asked as she gave a look to the Majesty-class Fallen, trying to hide her rage at him.

The image of the archaeologists came up, surprising Cree. Sammael pointed at the image. "I would like you to observe these archaeologists. They claimed to have found the Gem of Destruction, but there is reason to doubt that, because it could be a fake. There are reports of fake Spiral Gems, and it would appear these guys found one, but mistook it for the real thing. Or it could be the real deal, but that will only be determined through further study and testing." He then looked back at Cree. "It makes me suspect they are after the Spiral Gems for their own gain."

_'And like you aren't?'_ Cree thought to herself bitterly. "So you want me to keep watch on these humans to see what their goals are?"

"And to see if we can use them ourselves." Sammael replied. "After all, if they are looking for the Spiral Gems, then it would stand to reason we could make an alliance with these people."

Cree didn't like that, as she wanted to spare these guys from becoming Sammael's pawns. "But what if they don't want to make an alliance?"

Sammael sighed. "Then regrettably, we will have to kill them."

The fox Faunus knew what that meant. Anyone who was not useful was killed, or if Sammael had plans for them in the future, he let them live until those plans came about.

Cree then swallowed hard. "I... I understand." She said at last. "I will do what I can to get information on them."

Sammael looked back at Cree again. "I expect no less." He said before he waved for her to go. The fox Faunus was _glad_ to get out of there was fast as she could go. Cree didn't even look back at Sammael as she ran out of the lair. She _had_ to get to those archaeologists to warn them that Sammael was after them! Then a thought made her feel dread. _'Oh, Glob... what if Sammael has a Seer watching me?!'_ She didn't like the implications of that.

Cree shook her head. She had a mission to do, and she _would_ carry it out. However, she hoped that her secondary objective could be accomplished as well.

* * *

_Ruins_

Admiral Heero Yuy was standing beside Leo as the two of them watched 1st Lt. Nicol Amalfi removing some dust and dirt from an old pictograph. This one showed the humans, Faunus, Mobians, and other creatures that were unknown fighting against the Grimm and Fallen. There was a big battle depicted on the wall, showing what looked like tanks, fighter craft, and even these 'Metal Men' that were about the size of a Mobile Suit, but with all the stereotypical robotic appearances of the late 1950s in the AD era back in their home universe, Dimension O-000.

Leonardo, a turtle Mobian, glanced at the Enhanced human beside him. "What do you make of this?"

"Make of what?" Heero asked as he looked back at the Mobian next to him.

"Those depictions of the Metal Men." Leo clarified as he pointed at the images.

Heero grunted once. "Hn." He then looked back at the images himself. "They might _look_ powerful, but until we can translate the pictographs, we can't determine how strong they actually _were_." The admiral clarified.

"Do you think they can stand up to your versions?" Leo asked, curious now.

A Prussian blue eye glanced back at the ninja turtle. "Based on images alone, we are not sure. There is a chance they could, but again, that is still up in the air." Heero replied.

Beside Nicol, Rear Admiral Yzak Joule was running a translation program that had been cobbled together by one of their own, Lt. Colonel Nisha Itsuno. The translation program was scanning the pictographs, translating it to modern English as well as Cybertronian and Japanese. Nicol looked back at Heero as the translation program began to bring up the results. "Hey, we have a translation staring to come out!"

Running over, Heero and Leo came to a stop as the program's text began to come up on the screen.

Leo was impressed as he looked at the data coming in. "Wow." He whistled. "That is some impressive programming."

Nisha gave a sheepish chuckle at that. "Eh, this? This isn't anything too special. If you want _real_ programming, look no further than Admiral Yamato, or retired pilot Saul Kessel. Those two are some of the top programmers in the unit."

Leo smiled. "Nonsense. You have a knack for it as well."

"Only because Heero insisted we know some basic programming skills." Nisha admitted.

Looking at the admiral, Leo chuckled. "You really want them to succeed, don't you?"

"Hn." Heero grunted. "It's only for missions, and for their survival if the need should arise."

Leo chuckled again. "Then that shows you care."

Heero gave a bit of a small smile, something that he rarely did even when around his unit. "You could say that."

The two smiled at each other before Nicol spoke up. "Sir, we have a full translation of this wall."

Looking back, Heero and Leo glanced at the 1st lieutenant. "Can you read it?" Heero asked as Nicol nodded.

"Yes." Nicol then turned to the screen._ "Years have passed since the Grimm began to attack our last bastion of defense, Base Epsilion. The base fell, all because of a traitor in their midst. The traitor disabled the guns that would have taken down the Dark Dragon, thus allowing the Grimm to spread at the whim of the Black Mother."_

Then, Leo felt something odd, like he could see the images of the battle that was raging in his mind. It was unusual, but when Leo looked at Heero, he could see the Admiral had his eyes closed, and he looked transparent. In Admiral Yuy's mind was a small dark blue light that glowed, and a golden light that pulsed as well, but that one was not as bright, showing it was dormant. Glancing at the other members of Zero Squad, Leo could see Nicol and Nisha were in the same state as Heero, but with small brown lights glowing inside their heads. Looking over at Commander Tao White, he saw she had a greyish-blue light in her mind, while Yzak had a blue light glowing in his mind. Captain Stella Yuy had a magenta light in her mind while Commander Dearka Elsman had a purple light in his mind. General Mackenzie Allen had a hazel light in her mind, and Commander Derek Lockheed had a green light in his mind. Staff Sergeant Liz Dante had a greyish-green light in her mind, and Admiral Athrun Zala had an emerald light in his mind.

Next to Heero, Leo could see Commander Mu la Flaga, Colonel Hela Kingston, Commander Lockheed, and Petty Officer Second Class Brett Van Marshal all had small glowing lights in their hearts as well, and these lights were linked to lights in their minds, lights that were multicolored in appearance; they never stayed one color for long. But of those four, only Commander Lockheed also had the single colored light in his mind.

_"The battle came to this last base, unnamed because of the urgency of the Grimm threat growing each day. But here we have hidden our secret weapon, one that could hopefully turn the tide against the Grimm and the Black Mother. It is not an ordinary weapon either, for it was forged by our greatest scientists, mages, alchemists, and engineers. Using the enium we had managed to salvage, we boosted its power with spells and amplification arrays using alchemic equations and formulas. Sadly, we never got to deploy this weapon, for the base fell under attack. We were forced to abandon the base, leaving the weapon sealed away forever more."_ Although Nicol's voice was reading the translation, the 1st lieutenant's mouth was not moving.

Leo was unsure of what was going on, but as he looked around, he could see the battles raging at the unnamed base before him. Brown eyes narrowing, Leo watched as the two sides, one in a desperate attempt to survive and one taking its time to eliminate the first side, duked it out. In the end though, it was becoming clear that the Grimm were winning. Leo watched as the last of the defenders ignited an explosive that then sealed off the large underground cavernous area where the weapon was, sealing both it and himself, inside forevermore.

_"This is our last tale, a story of our last great hope to defeat the Black Mother and her Dark Ones, and how it all was for naught. Had we a bit more time, even a few days at the least, we could have changed the world for the better. But, alas, that future is no more. The black-veined ones shall inherit the Earth, unless the Great Metal Warriors with their genetically different soldiers can be found. It is but a mere formality that they be sought out, but sometimes something that is a formality can become something more. Whatever abilities these soldiers have, hopefully they can be of help to the final mission that was unable to be carried out."_ The voice that Leo was hearing in his head faded, just as the images faded as well. He found himself opening his eyes, which made the Mobian wonder if that was some kind of vision.

A nudge made Leo look back, only to see Nicol looking at him with concern. "Leo? What happened?"

"What do you mean?" Leo asked, confused as to why he was being looked at like that.

"You were in some kind of a trance." Nicol replied, worry evident in his tone. "Even Heero was unable to snap you out of it."

Leo perked up at hearing that. He looked down at his hands. "So what I saw _was_ a vision..."

"A vision?" Yzak questioned in a skeptical manner. "And yet you are not a Newtype? That's odd."

Leo cocked an eyebrow. "'Newtype'?"

Heero then sighed. "Yes, one of two genetic abilities we have in our universe."

Leo frowned. "If I tell you what I saw in my vision, will you explain these 'genetic abilities' you guys claim to possess?"

Yzak grunted. "Sounds fair."

And so, Leo explained what he saw. While Zero Squadron's members came from a world where science ruled, they had to admit there were _some_ supernatural forces in their world, including the abilities of Newtypes. This made it possible for the explanation to be more believable for the unit, but it was still met with some skepticism on their part.

"So, what are these genetic abilities you guys claim to have?" Leo asked after he finished his explanation. "Does it have to do with the word 'Newtype'?"

Heero nodded. "It does." He then looked back at four members of the unit behind him. "In fact, three of the members of my unit are Newtypes. The rest have what is known as the SEED/STAR Factors. And three members have both the SEED and Newtype abilities."

"So, what is the SEED/STAR Factor?" Leo asked, curious now. "And is it different from Newtype abilities?"

"It is. The SEED is a small seed-like object that explodes in a person's mind if they have a particularly strong desire to kill or defend someone, or if they enter battle with a particularly strong resolve." General Allen replied, taking up the explanation from here. "The first method shows the seed-like object falling and bouncing once before exploding, and users of this method are almost always driven by their desire to kill or defend. The second method is when the seed-like object explodes with a red vertical ring around it while spinning in place, and users of this method have control of their actions, as in their desires do not overrule any rational thought. These are the two methods of entering what we call SEED mode."

"And what of the STAR Factor?" Leo continued to ask. "Is that the same as SEED mode or is that it's own thing?"

"The STAR Factor is an evolution of the SEED Factor." General Allen explained. "This is signified by the user's SEED appearing and pulsing three times before exploding and revealing a small pinprick of light that pulses three times before exploding into a nova, or star, whichever works best to explain it."

Leo was surprised. "And how does one activate the STAR Factor?"

"Extreme emotional resolve." The general replied softly. "It is basically activated by feeling such a strong drive to defeat an enemy_ and_ protect those around the user."

Leo blinked, surprised at how hard it was to actually access the STAR Factor. But there was something else on his mind. "What do SEED and STAR stand for?"

"SEED was originally Superior Evolutionary Element Destined Factor, but it has since been changed to Superior Evolutionary Element Decisive Factor because the SEED is often a decisive factor in battle. And STAR stands for Superior Tactical Accelerated Response/Reaction Factor because of the fact that the human body's reaction time is so fast when using it." General Allen replied as she looked back at Leo.

"And how about Newtypes?" Leo pressed. "What are their abilities?"

"Newtypes have higher spatial awareness, and as such, have unique abilities like reading minds, sensing emotions, sometimes telepathic communication with each other, or even increasing their power output for their weapons, called DRAGOONs, which are also telepathically controlled." General Allen explained. "And that is where the differences between these abilities and the SEED/STAR come into play. The SEED/STAR Factor is about precision, accuracy, and reaction/response time while Newtype abilities are all about being more aware of the battlefield at large."

Leo looked down. "And it's possible to have both abilities?"

"Yes. Those who have the SEED and Newtype abilities are called SEED-types. But it comes at a cost; their SEEDs cannot evolve to reach STAR mode." The Natural clarified. "You see, the SEED and Newtype abilities are counteractive to each other. The SEED prevents Newtypes from using their abilities on the SEED user, while Newtype abilities can stunt the SEED's chances of reaching STAR mode. Newtypes can get insanely strong if they don't have the SEED to keep their abilities in check."

"So if someone has both, then they cannot get stronger." Leo mused. "It's like a genetic failsafe because if those people did not have the SEED, then they could become so strong, something bad could happen."

"You could say that." General Allen admitted. She then looked back at Leo again. "Anyway, those are the two genetic abilities we have in our universe."

Leo looked contemplative. "I think the SEED and Newtype abilities are like your guys' Semblances."

"I doubt that." Yzak grunted. "Either way, what you said you saw in the vision, about us having the pinpricks of light in our minds, my best guess is that you either saw our SEEDs, or the STAR Factor, and for three of us, you saw the light that showed they are Newtypes, or a SEED-type in Commander Lockheed's case."

"And don't you forget it!" Derek joked, making Yzak roll his eyes, but there as faint hint of a smile on the silver-haired rear admiral's face.

* * *

**GrimmFall**

Mayor Phil Ken Sebben looked up as he removed his hand from his eye patch. He had foreseen a new conflict coming, but one that was of interest to him. _'It seems Cree will be making a fateful encounter soon.'_ He mused as he looked out the window at GrimmFall. _'But what will she do? I have foreseen most of her actions, but a few are muddled, including the best outcome possible.'_

The mayor stood up and walked over to the window, his hands clasped behind his back as he stood there. _'And this came not too soon after the fight with Crom. Is this a sign the future we all seek, the best possible future, is getting closer? No, I cannot hope for that, lest time and fate conspire against us all.'_

However, this had given Mayor Sebben a _slight_ sliver of hope, despite all of his best attempts to avoid having such feelings. But only time would tell if this was indeed a good thing or not.

Mayor Sebben turned as he heard the door open. In came a familiar form he knew all too well. It was Callie Briggs, his deputy mayor. "Good to see you again, Ms. Briggs." The mayor said with a warm smile.

"I'm sorry I am late." Callie apologized. "But I was just finishing getting the reports all organized."

"It's perfectly understandable." The mayor assured her. "Anyway, take a seat." Callie did just that, Mayor Sebben doing the same himself. "Now, I have something extremely important to tell you." Sebben said as he tented his fingers in front of his mouth.

"What could be more important than the reports on the battle with Crom?" Callie asked.

There was silence for a moment before Mayor Sebben finally spoke. "There was another I had today."

"You mean..." Callie trailed off, not wanting to spill anything, lest it not come to pass.

"Yes, I do." The human replied. "Only this one was...interesting to say the least. All I can reveal is that someone whom is now wanted will find a way to redemption in an unexpected way."

Callie frowned, knowing that many people, Faunus, Human, or Mobian, were wanted for different things, but if anyone of them had the chance for redemption, it would have to be a minor criminal. "I...understand, I think."

"I will not say who it is, or what they are wanted for. All that I _will_ say is that they are going to be reaching for that chance soon enough." Mayor Sebben said cryptically.

Callie looked out the window of the mayor's office, wondering if this was good or bad thing that was to come...

* * *

_Hall of_ _Justice_

In the Justice Friends HQ, a trio of Digimon were sitting around talking. As it was, Lowemon, Kazemon, and Agunimon were exhausted after the fight with Crom, and each of them just wanted to rest.

While they chatted, Major Glory was in his room, at his desk looking over what had been sent to him by Mayor Sebben. It was an urgent message saying the Gem of Destruction was in the hands of Sammael, and it would appear he obtained it from some archaeologists whom had found it by accident and didn't know what they were getting into when they did. _'Perhaps these people should be talked to about what they just did...'_ The major thought grimly, no pun intended.

Major Glory looked at his tablet, which was beeping with a call coming in. He accessed the tablet, allowing Mayor Sebben's image to come up. _"You got my message I take it?"_

"I did." Major Glory confirmed. "And it disturbs me that some civilians got their hands on a Spiral Gem, only to be forced to give it up to Sammael."

_"Yes, it is disturbing."_ Mayor Sebben admitted. _"And that is all the more reason to go and find them to find out what they were thinking when they did that."_

Major Glory rubbed a hand over his massive chin in thought. "If they are civilians, surely they have their Auras awakened at the very least, right?"

_"According to Leonardo, who is with them, they do not have Auras or even Semblances."_ The mayor replied, making Major Glory look at his image in surprise.

"By Washington's axe, no wonder they felt they had to give it up then!" The major exclaimed in alarm. "Sammael could have killed them had they not done as he asked!"

Mayor Sebben's image nodded. _"Yes, but I doubt he would have actually done it. He might be a Fallen, but he seems to have uses for those he meets. I believe he would have spared them even if they had refused, because these people might be after the Spiral Gems themselves."_

Those words made Major Glory frown in response. "So these 'archaeologists', if that is what they even are, could be planning something with the Spiral Gems?"

_"It's highly possible."_ Mayor Sebben's image replied. _"But as you know, I cannot reveal what I have foreseen, lest time turn against us."_

Major Glory nodded before the line went dead, leaving the major alone to his thoughts. He put his arms on the desk, resting his chin on his hands as he pondered what these 'archaeologists' wanted and who they _really_ were, if they were even archaeologists at all.

* * *

_Mayor's office_

Mayor Sebben placed a hand on his eye patch again as he stood in front of the windows. Yes, he had foreseen the future, but what was odd this time was that he had foreseen something he could not describe; a close ally of Sammael's would turn on him, and give their side an edge, no matter how small it was. _'Well, Ms. Lincoln? What is your decision? Will you make the right one? Or will you forfeit your chance at redemption?'_

* * *

**Ruins**

_'Because this is your one chance, and your only one at that...'_

It showed Zero Squad working on excavating the ruins some more, with the necklace Staff Sgt. Dante had found gleaming in the light of the portable light generators the unit was using. It sat there, looking innocent and innocuous, hardly anything important in the grand scheme of things. But there was more to that amulet than met the eye, literally too...

Admiral Yuy was standing near what had been found to be a grave of sorts, with three bodies in it, all of which were just bones now. He had a frown on his face as he watched Derek slowly remove a leg femur bone, wearing gloves as he did so. "So, how do you think these people died, Yuy?" The commander asked as Heero grunted once.

"Until we can get these bones back to the ship for analysis, we can't say for sure." The admiral replied as he looked at the boxes that held the bones in a delicate state.

Nicol looked up from where he was examining an old vase. "Well, regardless, we have learned quite a bit about this place over the short time we have been here." The green-haired pilot pointed out. "Like we found out this was an unnamed base that holds a weapon that is said to be extremely powerful."

"Yes, but what that weapon _is_, we don't know." Heero countered with his steely gaze. "We have to find it, but that is assuming the thing is inert. That is why we have to tread carefully here. What if we find where it is hidden, or we are just above it and don't even know it, and the thing is actually _live_? What if our excavation of this place causes the thing to explode?"

Nicol's face paled somewhat at those words. "Oh..." He trailed off here. "That _would_ be pretty bad..."

Heero gave a nod of agreement. "But that should show how sensitive and careful we have to be here."

Leo came up at that point. "Either way, if the goal of finding this weapon being accomplished is reached, what are your plans for it?"

The admiral looked down at that. "We will have to study it, do some tests to see just _how_ powerful it is, and then see if we can do one better."

"You mean recreate it?!" Leo gasped.

Heero looked back at the turtle Mobian. "Not recreate it. See if we can create our _own_ version of said weapon. Because we might be able to create something that could literally _remove_ a Dark Pool from existence if we do it right." Leo could hardly believe what he was hearing. _'These guys think they can make a weapon that can _remove_ a Dark Pool from existence?! That's supposed to be _impossible!_'_

"You do realize that sounds crazy if not downright mad, right?" Leo asked nervously.

Heero gave a bit of a smirk. "Well, we _do_ have a habit of making impossible things seem to be possible..." He replied vaguely.

* * *

As the team continued to work on the excavation, a fox Faunus was making her way back to the ruins, intent on finding out what she could about these humans. Cree felt her fox ears twitch as she picked up the slight sound of a Seer Grimm following her. She was aware of it, not that Sammael minded. No, it was supposedly there to make sure she was safe from anyone who wanted to get rid of her now that she was a wanted criminal. However, Cree knew better. The thing was there to make sure she carried out her mission to the letter.

Stopping at what was the outskirts of the ruins, Cree could see tents were set up, and there were people, no doubt these archaeologists, milling around. They were even coming and going from what had to be an underground chamber, if the subterranean entrance was any indication. Cree crept closer, her Faunus eyesight allowing her to see just what the humans working here looked like. She was quick to note they had unusual hair and eye colors, which made her wonder if these were dye jobs and contacts, or if there was something more at work here.

But as she peered closer, her foot hit a rock, sending it tumbling down to the ruins' floor. Thankfully, no one heard it, or so she assumed...

* * *

**Sammael sends Cree to investigate the 'archaeologists' as Mayor Sebben has a vision of Cree. Meanwhile Zero Squadron is working to uncover the secrets of the ruins at the same time. How will these individuals handle their first meeting? Read on to find out~! :3**


	2. Darkness of Deceit II

**New GrimmFall story! We have an interesting prologue too.**

**D.N Works: Oh, they will~! :3**

**GCD: Rest assured, Zero Squad had no choice but to give up the gem, lest they be found out and possibly killed. As for the weapon thing, well, the unit has to answer to the Secretary General of the United Earth Nations in their universe, and the man** _will_** put a stop to this idea of a weapon.**

**merendinoemiliano: Yes, it is. :3**

**nightmaster000: Yes, I know all that, and don't worry, Cree will take developing path of redemption, not in one or two chapters. And trust me, Zero Squadron will learn just how hard it is to destroy a Fallen. They can **attempt** to develop such a weapon yes, but that doesn't mean it **will** succeed, now does it? ;3**

**Lord Maximus: Don't worry, all will be answered in this fic for sure. :3**

**Note: If any readers have an account, then please review using your account please. If you are too lazy to log in, then at least leave your account name so I can know who you are. If any reader does not have an account, then at least use a consistent name when reviewing so I can respond in a more personal manner, as the name 'Guest' does not seem too personable to me.**

* * *

Zero Squadron sat gathered around the main briefing room's chairs, etc. as they waited for Heero to enter. The commander of the unit had called for an emergency meeting after something had been picked up on the _Constitution's_ sensors, and thus they were all gathered here now.

Leo turned as the door hissed open, revealing Admiral Yuy in his full flight suit, helmet in hand. His brown hair was not covered by the 'Snoopy Cap', as Leo had learned it was called, either; that was inside the helmet he held in his hand. Everyone, save for Leo, saluted the admiral as he walked over to the main monitor. "At ease."

As soon as the unit's members dropped the salute, Heero turned to the monitor, which showed the outside of the ship they were on. There were several crew members of the ship milling around outside to put up the façade they were still at the dig site. "Now, as you all know, the sensors on the _Constitution_ here picked up a strange energy signature outside the radius of the dig site." Heero began as he turned back to his team. "What's more, this energy signature is _not_ human, nor is it alive in the normal sense."

"How would you describe it as alive then?" Yzak grunted.

"Think of that black ooze back in our universe that somehow hitched a ride on the _Archangel_ the first time we fought that Sea Fei Long Grimm." Heero replied.

Yzak's face paled a bit at remembering that. "You mean...?"

"Yes. The ship's sensors have picked up a Grimm lurking about." Heero confirmed. "But what's odd is that we can't find it. All that we know is that it is there."

Leo frowned at hearing that. "It sounds like it might be a Seer Grimm."

"'Seer Grimm'?" The whole unit asked as one, Heero included.

"Yes." Leo replied. "A Grimm that can act as a camera, surveillance drone, or communications source for Sammael."

_That_ information sent chills and feelings of dread through the room.

Commander la Flaga then looked at the Mobain with them. "I have a question." Leo looked back at him as the human continued to speak. "Would one of those Seer things be able to pick up Newtype brainwaves if one of us tried to track it down that way?"

The turtle Mobian shook his head. "I wouldn't risk it. The Seer has sensors of its own, but they are not the regular sensors you guys might be used to using. Who knows what those can pick up?"

Mu frowned, but had to admit that was a valid point. "Good point..."

Heero then looked back at Leo. "Leonardo? I think this would be a good time to show us how to take out a Seer."

Leo blinked, but nodded. "You got it."

* * *

_Sammael's lair_

Sammael watched as the 'archaeologists' went about their dig, but what _really_ drew his interest was the large tent that sat outside the dig's boundaries. There was just something about the way it was set up that felt off to him, like someone was trying to hide something... _'Heh... Trying to outsmart me? I can see they have some kind of transport hidden there.'_

However, _what_ that transport was, he _didn't_ know. Then again, when one lived as long as he did, there was no doubt that one would pick up methods of seeing things that were obviously hidden. _'There is most likely a truck of some kind in that tent.'_

Sammael gave direction to his Seer to creep closer to the large tent that sat before it. The Seer drifted over and floated into the open back, catching sight of a large truck indeed. It was ready to receive any artifacts that were there, and that interested him. _'So, it seems these guys have their own plans, and it involves whatever is in these ruins.'_ Sammael mused to himself.

His Seer drifted closer to one of the trucks, trying to get a look at it fully. Sammael could see it looked somewhat sleeker than the trucks he was used to seeing, likely that they were more advanced. There were no exhaust pipes on these trucks either, at least from what he could see anyway.

That alone made Sammael wonder if these guys were from another universe, one that he had not yet discovered.

Suddenly, there was a flash of silver, and then the Seer's images cut out. Sammael frowned at that as his Seer was carved up, leaving nothing of the Grimm behind. "So they had someone waiting to take out the Seer... Very clever if not sneaky." A smirk crossed his face at that point. "Well, then we can see how well these so-called archaeologists play the long game."

* * *

_Ruins_

Leonardo landed as the Seer dissipated into black smoke. Behind him, Heero and Athrun stood back as they watched the Seer's demise.

"So that's a Seer?" Athrun asked as Leo gave a nod to the human.

"Yeah." Leo replied. "And as you can see, this is what they look like."

Sure enough, the Seer has tentacles that were all around it, and it looked nothing like an animal. Heero frowned as he took in its form before it vanished into wisps of black smoke. The thing had disturbed him a bit, which was saying something to say the least.

"Was that thing observing us?" Athrun asked. Leo frowned as he heard that.

"It is most likely it was, yes." Leo confirmed, making Athrun groan.

"Great...so much for us remaining on the down low..." The blue-haired Admiral replied.

Heero then looked back at Leo. "What do you think the odds of Sammael finding out about us are?"

"My guess is that he knows something is off with you guys, that you are not normal archaeologists, but that is all I can guess. I don't really know, as I am not a Fallen, nor am I under his command." The turtle Mobian replied with a shrug.

"Very well. We will have to expand the sensor perimeter as well as set up a sniper, or at the very least have you help take out the Seers, Leonardo." Heero said as he looked at the Mobian. "You think you can help us with that?"

Leo blinked in surprise, not sure what to make of these guys asking _him_ for help. But then he remembered they were not from this universe, and as such, lacked the abilities of the natives of his home universe. Leo looked back at Heero after a moment of consideration and nodded. "Yes. I believe I can."

Heero gave a nod as Athrun sighed and shook his head. Things were _definitely_ getting interesting it seemed.

* * *

**O-000**

Secretary General Brian Willis, leader of the United Earth Nations, or UEN, was looking over information that was being sent back by the _Constitution_, and so far, all of it seemed to be dire indeed. It seemed that this Sammael had come across Zero Squad and was now looking to find out what he could about them, even if they were supposed to be mere archeologists to him.

_'This is worrisome.'_ The secretary general mused to himself. _'If this Sammael finds out Zero Squad is not who they say they are, then there is a chance he could find out _where_ they are from, and by extension, us. That means our dimensional travel capabilities will be exposed. We have to tread _very_ carefully right now.'_

Looking back at what he knew was a separate file, Secretary General Willis reached for it and opened it up. Inside sat a specific set of commands, one of which had words on it that were only meant for his eyes. He reached out and picked up the order, reading it over as he did so. It was one only he could give, and it was what held back Zero Squad's true abilities. Standing up, Secretary General Willis got up from his seat and walked over to the windows, which showed the dank, drab sky outside as the rain lightly fell on the outline of New York City. In his left hand, hanging limply, were the orders that said "Magnum Command"...

* * *

**GF-007**

Back at the ruins, Heero was working on digging out what looked to be an old sarcophagus, one that was from this Forgotten Age if what Leo had told them was right. He brushed away some of the dirt and dust that was on it using a small brush, only to find some old pictographs on the side and lid, most likely spelling out the name of the occupant. He looked over at Nicol and waved him over. "We need a translation here."

Looking back at the admiral, the green-haired pilot ran over with the translator in hand. He held it up and the beam scanned the pictographs, only for the computer program to start deciphering the old language into modern English and Cybertronian. Nicol frowned as he read over the symbols and words that came up. "It says 'Here lies the Great King Ozric, the last of the Emperors of our people. May he forever rest knowing the future will be better for generations yet to come.'"

Heero frowned as well as he heard Nicol read the translation. "Hmm... It would seem this is the leader of a long-lost civilization then..." He put a hand to his chin in thought.

Leonardo came over, having heard what Nicol had been reading off. "What have you found?"

"We believe we found the remains of the leader of the civilization that once ran this place." Nicol informed the Mobian.

Looking at the translation on the screen of the translator, Leo was surprised to see it was indeed what Nicol had told him it was. "That's odd."

"Why is it odd?" Nicol asked.

"I mean it's odd that the leader of an entire civilization was buried _here_ at an old base instead of in a lavish tomb that would hold all sorts of treasures that were signs of his wealth." Leo explained.

Heero frowned at hearing that. It _was_ odd he had to admit, but then again, there had to be a reason for it, and he had an inkling of what that was. "Maybe they _couldn't_ because of some kind of war, if what the pictographs tell us is true."

Leo looked back at Heero. "So you're going off of what you are seeing for that assumption then?"

"I am." The Enhanced human replied before something set off his sense for danger, as his SEED reacted with that sharp, searing pain in his head. Heero grunted as he felt that pain, his hand flying to his head as he gripped at it to try and ease the pain. Looking around, Leonardo could see the rest of Zero Squad was reacting in similar ways, with the SEED users all holding their heads while the lone SEED-type was doing the same thing, but not as tightly. The resident Newtypes were all alert and looking around for something that was unseen by all but them. Leo looked back at the SEED users again, only for Admiral Zala to regain his bearings first.

"There's something here..." Athrun panted as Leo looked confused.

"How do you know that?" The turtle Mobian asked as the Coordinator looked back at him.

"Our SEEDs. They react to danger through a...sharp spasm of pain. It's...under investigation back in our universe, but we assume that it's because of the fact that the SEED is the opposite of Newtype abilities. Rather than alerting through a sense that can detect danger on a more spiritual level, this is of a more...physical level of alertness." Athrun explained as best he could. "It's like a rudimentary form of Newtype sensing abilities."

Now Leo understood. "So what were you sensing?"

"Someone or something is here, watching us." Athrun growled as he looked around, his hand flying for his handgun he carried on his hip. Leo looked around as well, drawing his katana swords from their sheaths as he did so. Things were tense for a bit before a shimmering made the entire unit look back at the sarcophagus, where the shimmer was coming from. What looked like a tear in dimensional space became visible and all present tensed up. But what came out was not a Grimm, Faunus, Mobian, or even a Fallen. No, it was a man with a long grey beard and hair, what looked like wizard robes, glasses, and hat on, and in his hands was a tall staff. Athrun pulled his sidearm, as did the rest of the unit while Leo got into a stance for attack. Heero, also with his sidearm out, spoke first. "Identify yourself!"

The man merely smiled at the elite unit before him, despite facing down several guns and two sharp swords. "I believe you know of me, Admiral Heero Yuy of Zero Squadron, for I was the one who sent you that note about the attack on the colony in your dimension."

Heero's eyes narrowed dangerously as he clicked the safety on his handgun off. "I will _not_ warn you again! Identify yourself!"

"I am merely here to see how things fare, not to engage in a fight." The mysterious man said with a knowing smile. "My name is of no importance to you or your unit." His deep voice seemed to be mocking Heero and that made the admiral mad, madder than he could recall.

"So you think we don't matter here?" Heero growled, feeling like he was being jilted out of the position he felt comfortable in when it came to his unit's reputation. Yes, he took certain pride in his unit and their ability to handle whatever came their way, but to be told that the name of someone who was unknown was of no importance to them felt...wrong somehow.

"No, I don't think that at all." The mysterious man said with that same smile. "In fact, your presence here is _very_ vital to the future of this world. You are one of the keys that can help bring it forth."

Heero's eyes widened at hearing that. "We are one of the keys?" He murmured before he regained some sense of himself and aimed his gun again. "And how are we one of these keys?"

"That will be revealed in due time, Admiral." The man assured Heero. "But until then, it is best you seek one of the Spiral Gems, namely the Gem of Destruction. The one you gave to Sammael was a False Gem, and he knows it too. If he gets his hands on the real one, then many will suffer, far more than what you have seen."

"_Why_ do we have to seek the Gem of Destruction?" Liz asked with a hiss to her voice. "It's not like we can use it!"

The mysterious man glanced at her and smirked at seeing the amulet around her neck. "You have one of the keys to seek it on you."

Liz blinked before looking down at the amulet. "Wha…?"

"Use that and seek the Gem of Destruction, lest Sammael get his hands on and use its power for evil." The man said sternly before the shimmer opened up again and he stepped back inside. Heero growled and ran for the shimmer with a shout, making the man look back. He held up a hand and his hand glowed before a barrier appeared in front of Heero, catching him off guard as he slammed into it, sliding down it with blood running down from his nose and mouth on the front of the barrier. The admiral grunted as he felt back from the barrier's front and landed on his butt, rubbing at his sore and bloody face. Heero glanced up, his eyes hard and almost seething with rage that was uncontained. The mystery man frowned at seeing that.

"You have a lot to learn about this world, Admiral Yuy." The mystery mage said seriously. "Not everything can be won in this world the way it was won in yours. You have to think of the impossible as being possible here, and the possible being impossible."

"Are you alright, Yuy?!" Yzak asked as he ran over, only to stop when he saw the admiral glaring at the mage in front of them all, standing before the dimensional gateway that they knew it was. The mage then stepped into the shimmer, the gateway closing behind him. Heero was still glaring at the empty space in front of the coffin, but he was no longer filled with seething rage now. No, his mind was processing what the mage had told them.

"Yuy? You okay?" Yzak asked as Heero looked back at the rear admiral.

Heero sighed at that point, feeling his rage leaving his body. "Yes, I'm fine."

"Good, because you look like a bloody mess." The silver-haired officer noted.

"What did that man mean by we have a lot to learn with this world?" Tao asked as she looked at Heero, who was now wiping the blood away from his face.

Leo frowned. "It means there is still much you don't know about this world, namely the Dark Substance."

"You mean the Black Goop?" Liz asked as Leo looked back at her.

"'Black Goop'?" The Mobian questioned.

"That's our name for the Dark Substance." Dearka replied. "It's certainly better than the name you gave it, at least for us anyway."

Leo rolled his eyes. "Anyway, yes, there is a lot that you do not know yet about the Dark Substance or Black Goop as you call it."

"But back on topic. What did that man mean by the impossible is possible and the possible is impossible?" Stella murmured. "Does that mean we can't act the way we normally do? Or does that mean we can't rely on our usual methods of operation?"

No one was sure anymore...

* * *

_GrimmFall_

In the Hall of Justice, Lowemon, Kazemon, and Agunimon were each training in the training room, Agunimon taking part in a spar against Valhallen while Lowemon was sparring against Kazemon. The Warrior of Flame was already forced into a predicament where he had to rely on his long-range to attack, and it was not going so well. While he was a decent sniper when staying still, it was when he was forced to move around that his shots were way off. He grunted as he fired off another round, but the shot missed Valhallen's arm by a good foot, much to his disgust. A strum from the Rock God's guitar sent lightning lancing towards Agunimon, who was forced to pull his next shot and jump back. Landing behind a wall that was on the training course, Agunimon found himself panting heavily.

_'What can I do to beat him...?'_ Agunimon wondered as he peered out from behind the wall. _'He has way more experience than me in this..._'

Vahallen's voice startled the Digimon. "Looking for me?"

Glancing up, Agunimon was surprised to see the God of Rock on top of the wall, looking down at him with a smile. "You shouldn't be too surprised to see me, you know."

A shout escaped Agunimon's throat as he aimed his rifle and fired a round at Valhallen's face, but the God pulled his head back, causing the round to hit the ceiling. Jumping down, Valhallen had his foot smack into the Warrior of Flame's face, sending Agunimon flying back and to the ground, where he rolled twice before coming to a stop on his stomach, his rifle next to him as he had lost his grip on it during his second roll across the ground.

"Did something crawl up and die?" Valhallen asked as he walked over to Agunimon, who was pushing himself to his hands and knees now, panting heavily. Sweat was visibly falling from his exposed lower face, and the Digimon felt a bit out of it.

"S-Shut up..." Agunimon rasped out before he went into a coughing fit. That alarmed Valhallen, who rushed over as Agunimon finally keeled over, almost collapsing if the Rock God didn't catch him before he could hit the ground. Holding the Digimon gently in his arms, Valhallen could see the Warrior of Flame was panting heavily, and he wasn't even aware of his surroundings anymore, as his blue eyes were shut tightly as he panted, trying to get air into his body. Worry caused the Viking God to furrow his hidden eyebrows, wondering just what it was that had Agunimon so exhausted. As it was, the fight with Crom been over for a while, so it couldn't be that. Placing a hand on Agunimon's side, Valhallen was surprised when he felt something wet and sticky. Pulling his hand away, the God of Rock saw blood coating his hand. Worried about who could have hurt the Warrior of Flame, Valhallen tried to figure it out. Or had it been somebody acting to kill him?

Kazemon and Lowemon had seen the two stop sparring, only to rush over when they both saw Agunimon collapse. Kazemon was worried as she and Lowemon reached Valhallen's side, only to gasp when she saw Valhallen's hand was covered in Agunimon's blood, as well as a slight pool of the red life-giving liquid gathering on the floor beneath the Viking God and the injured Warrior of Flame. Lowemon was worried as well, his red eyes not even hiding his feelings. "What happened?" The Warrior of Darkness asked.

Valhallen looked back at Lowemon. "It's nothing to worry about." But his tone of voice betrayed what he was really feeling.

"Valhallen, what happened? Is Agunimon okay?" Kazemon asked him now. Her worry was evident in her tone of voice.

Finally, the Viking God sighed as he looked down at the Warrior of Flame. "Agunimon seems to have been injured somehow, but I don't know how or by who."

* * *

Unbeknownst to the foursome, a retainer-wearing boy sneered as he held the poison-dipped knife in his hand.

Jimmy had finally had enough; if his hero would not appreciate him or accept his worship, then _no one_ could be around his hero, because his hero would be dead and no one would miss him. '_If I can't have you, then _no one_ can!'_ Jimmy thought as he watched the Warrior of Flame struggling to breathe.

It seemed his hero would have to die in order for others to not be around him. Jimmy hated to do it, but it was how it had to be.

* * *

Agunimon was struggling to take air into his body, which worried Valhallen and his two fellow Digimon. Lowemon looked at the Viking God. "We need to get him down to the medical wing, like now!"

"I agree with you, Lowemon." Valhallen said as he stood up, holding Agunimon in his arms. "We don't have much time."

With that said, the God of Rock hurried out of the training room, Lowemon and Kazemon right beside him.

* * *

_Ruins_

Heero was now sitting at the edge of the burial chamber, looking down at his hands. That man had come out of nowhere, knew who he, no _they_, were, and had said they still had a lot to learn about this world yet, namely the Black Goop. He frowned as he clenched his fists. _'Why are _we_ one of the keys for this world's future? Why does that man want us to seek the Gem of Destruction? And how is it that we still have much to learn yet about this world? What is the possible situation here, and what is considered impossible? _That_ is what we need to know.'_

Looking up, the admiral knew his unit had to find their way here. So far, they had just been grasping at straws though, trying to find their purpose in a new universe that seemed to defy all known logic that they operated on. Zero Squadron had tried to hunt down Satyra's leader, but that was ruled out, trying to find out about the past had failed, and now the unit had been told they had to find the Gem of Destruction. _'It seems that when we try to find our path here, we get directed to another one and that also ends up a dead end no less.'_ Heero mused to himself. He then sighed as he stood up. "All Zero Squadron members sent out should be recalled back to our ship."

Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked back at the admiral. "Heero… are you saying we are calling back the teams sent out to gain intelligence?" Liz asked.

"Yes, we are." Heero confirmed. "At least, two of the teams anyway. I am leaving the teams of Shinn and Chris and Akira and Flay out in the field. Mark, Luna, Kira, and Cagalli will be called back. I feel that two teams should be enough at this point."

Tao frowned at hearing that. "But why?"

"We aren't getting anywhere with what we are supposed to be doing here." Heero explained. "We have just been grasping around, trying to find our path in this universe. We grabbed at random ideas and tried to pursue them, but none have worked out. We tried to find information on Satyra, and that failed. We tried to get information from the past, it has led us nowhere. We came here to find this Black Velvet, and we got no leads."

"So you think if we regroup, we could find out just what we need to do here?" Stella asked.

Heero gave a nod. "Yes. But, as it is, if we recall all the teams, it would hinder us. With Shinn and Chris, their assignment is to look for the Dragon of Denver and find out what the Dragon actually looks like. And Akira and Flay's mission is to remain on standby in the major city, GrimmFall, here, infiltrating into the local populace. If anything, they might be able to find something yet."

Derek frowned. "So, you think we can leave the two teams out there in case we need them."

"Yes." Heero replied. "But the main issue is that we need to regroup, and if we do that, we might be able to get a hint of what it is we are supposed to do here."

Leo frowned as well. "That would be a wise idea. At least, calling back the four you need anyway."

Heero gave a nod to Leo.

* * *

_GrimmFall_

_"It is for the best for now..."_

In Mayor Sebben's office, a man with green eyes and black hair tied back at the nape of his neck walked in, holding some papers for the mayor to read over. He walked past a secretary, who had red hair and pale blue eyes. The two made eye contact, and the man gave a nod before he opened the door to Mayor Sebben's office.

"I have the papers for you, Mayor." The man said as Mayor Sebben turned to face him.

"Ah, thank you, Alex." Mayor Sebben said with a smile as he took the papers. The man, Alex, bowed before he stood up and walked out.

Deputy Mayor Callie Briggs looked on at the man as he left. "He is a bit unusual."

"How so?" Mayor Sebben asked as he looked over the papers. "Alex is a very dedicated worker."

"Yes, but there is just this...air about him, and I don't know what it is." Deputy Mayor Briggs replied. "It's like...there is more to him than meets the eye."

Mayor Sebben gave a chuckle at hearing that. "Yes, but that is true for everyone here, isn't it?"

Deputy Mayor Briggs frowned at that, but didn't disagree, for it held some truth to it. "That's true..."

"Anyways, Alex is a fine young man, and the secretary, Fiona, is just as good a worker." Mayor Sebben said. "It was good fortune they happened to apply when I needed them the most."

_'But was it?'_ Callie wondered to herself. _'Or did they just happen to find the flyer and appear because they planted it?'_ She wasn't so sure she liked Alex and Fiona, no offense to them on a personal level. But it was just something about they way they carried themselves that set her off. It was like they were...survivors of some kind. Survivors that had seen war at its worst.

She resolved to do some digging into their pasts. Maybe then she would be satisfied with her findings...

* * *

'Alex', or Akira, made his way over to 'Fiona', or Flay. "Is everything going okay for you, Fiona?"

"Yes Alexa. Things are going just fine." 'Fiona' replied. "It seems there are some files that I am having trouble accessing. Then again, I _am_ '**new**' to the systems here, so it makes sense I can't find everything I need for '**work**' yet."

'Alex' gave a nod. "Well, if you '**need help**', just '**ask**'."

While it looked like normal office chatter, they were actually talking in an established code that only they understood. 'Fiona' knew what 'Alex' was really saying, just as he understood what she was really saying. _*I can't get into the system to get data for the mission.* *Leave that to me.*_

'Alex' walked over to 'Fiona's' computer and began to type away, trying to help her '**figure out**' the system. It took a matter of seconds, but 'Alex' was soon able to hack into the mayor's personal mainframe. He brought up any files he saw, but none of them held much information that they could use for their mission. He frowned at seeing that. _'Seems the mayor is far more astute when it comes to his files. He seems to be aware others will want to get their hands on them. This...could pose a bit of a problem for us...'_

'Alex' closed the connection to the files, making sure to mask his intrusion and exit so it was almost impossible to trace.

"I don't think I '**fixed**' the issue. I'm '**sorry**'." He said to 'Fiona'. _*I couldn't find any files relevant for us.*_

'Fiona' frowned at hearing that. "I see. Thanks anyway, Alex."

* * *

_Hall of Justice_

Omnimon winced as he felt his injuries from the fight on Homeworld and against Crom act up. As it was, even with his Semblance locked into its Recovery state, it was taking a while to heal. Abby was next to him, asking him questions about what he had been doing since he had left her and Nigel, things like that. And while he was able to answer some of them, his injuries made it hard to stay on task.

"Abby, just let him rest already!" Nigel exclaimed, exasperated. "I know you want to catch up, but Omnimon needs rest still."

Abby looked at Nigel. "Well, excuse me for worrying about him."

"I will be fine." Omnimon said as he looked at the two Elementals before they could argue. "I just need some more time to recover yet."

Nigel looked at Omnimon. "I still can't believe you stood up to Blue Diamond! That must have taken a real toll on you."

"I will admit, it _was_ one of my dumber moves." Omnimon admitted. "But at the same time, it was...it was worth it, because you two are safe now."

Nigel blushed as Abby played with one of her fox ears.

However, Omnimon had a question. "However, I am wondering how you were able to unlock your Elemental powers, Abby."

Abby looked at Omnimon. "It was during a fight with a boy who wanted to 'recruit' me and Nigel for some reason. I awoke my Candy Elemental powers during that time, and...It got the attention of some unsavory people." She said at last with a sigh.

Omnimon chuckled. "That is the price of power. Others will want to use you for their own gain." He then had a thought. _'Is that why Sammael wanted to have me go with, so I could be eliminated? Or was he using my power for his own gain?'_ The Royal Knight shook his head. Now was not the time to dwell on such facts.

Abby looked like she wanted to do something, but was unsure of what he would think. "Um... Omni..."

"What is it?" Omnimon asked, confused now.

"Um... Well, I was wondering if... Well..." Abby was unsure of how to say it, but Nigel said it for her.

"For bloody sake, just say it Abby!" Nigel exclaimed. "If you won't I will." He then faced Omnimon. "She wants to know what she can do to thank you for taking the chance to try and rescue us."

Omnimon looked at Abby. "There is need to thank me in any way. I was just doing my job, not just as a Royal Knight, but as a friend to you."

"But I insist!" Abby exclaimed. "I mean, you risked your life, many times! Not just against Crom, but also against Gentleman Jim, and Blue Diamond as well!"

The Digimon shook his head. "No. I do not want thanks. As I said, I was just doing what I could do as a friend, nothing more."

Abby frowned, but she could see Omnimon was insistent that there was no need to thank him with a gift. "Okay..."

Omnimon then winced as he felt one of his injuries twinge again. "Celestials above... Maybe taking on that many strong opponents in such a short amount of time was a bad idea..."

Nigel blinked in confusion as Abby snickered. It would seem he would be fine indeed.

* * *

**Unknown dimension**

_Yen Sid watched as Zero Squadron milled about, a frown on his face as he did so. _'It would seem they need a push in the right direction. I gave them what they needed, now it is up to them to figure it out.'_ He mused as he saw Admiral Zala make his way to a jeep._

_His hand waved, fading to show a new scene, one which showed Tiger of the Wind making his way down a path, panting slightly. _'And an old friend is in need of some serious help. I pray that someone _does_ help him, lest he die and our one chance of saving our lost civilization is gone forever...'

_The scene changed again, showing Wing Saber and Arcee making their way through the skies above, Wing Saber holding onto Arcee as he flew above the clouds. _'Two soldiers from two different Empires are on a journey to find a lost leader, but that all hinges on if they get the right help.'

_One more wave of his hand showed Cree observing Zero Squadron, and a smile crossed his face. _'And the distrusted will soon become the trusted to a new side in this war, giving our side a much needed morale booster as well as information no one else will be able to claim is false.'

_Things were now beginning to advance, and he was going to do everything he could to bring the future everyone sought to light._

* * *

**Zero Squadron learns that Sammael is looking for them, and also meets a mage of great power, but this mage does not reveal his name, only giving the unit information to guide them to a new path. Meanwhile Jimmy decides to try and kill Agunimon because of jealousy as one of the infiltration teams actually gets into the inner circle of Mayor Sebben as Yen Sid watches the to see what will come yet all while Omnimon, Abby, and Nigel catch up. What will happen next? Read on to find out~! :3**


	3. Darkness of Deceit III

**New GrimmFall story! We have an interesting prologue too.**

**D.N Works: You would be right about Jimmy, and don't worry, this unit** will** show why they are the best of the best. :)**

**GCD: Glad you liked, and I will consider the idea. :) But yes, things will be interesting for Zero Squad indeed. :3**

**merendinoemiliano: As for how Jimmy crept up on Agunimon, well, that was during the spar, and the door was left open. No one would expect the innocently 'naive' boy to be crazy enough to sneak in and do some harm like that. :)**

**nightmaster000: Okay, yes, Yen Sid is trying to play the role of chessmaster here. And I am glad you liked the whole thing with them, especially Heero. I could just see that, you know? This will also force the unit to consider new things that are not possible in their world are possible here. It means they have to adapt, just like they did in their world when fighting against new foes. :3 It is set a day after Crom's fight, so it makes sense Jimmy didn't leave yet. :) As for how Jimmy pulled it off, well, let's just say Jimmy played the innocent child act _very_ well. He was able to sneak in, and then lay in wait a few hours before the spar. Then, when Agunimon hid behind the wall, Jimmy struck, and then snuck out when Valhallen went to the Digimon's aide. And yes, Flay and Akira should have been aware indeed. But as I have mentioned before, they are still learning about this world, and even so, it still has many mysteries to reveal. :3**

**Lord Maximus: I can't wait to see how you incorporate this into your story as well. :3 And don't worry, the infiltration team will learn about the Gem of Sight the hard way soon enough. :3**

**Note: If any readers have an account, then please review using your account please. If you are too lazy to log in, then at least leave your account name so I can know who you are. If any reader does not have an account, then at least use a consistent name when reviewing so I can respond in a more personal manner, as the name 'Guest' does not seem too personable to me.**

* * *

_Old Military base_

Wing Saber was standing guard as Arcee tried to get some recharge. There was nothing but the stars and the moon to illuminate the area, not that Wing Saber had any trouble seeing due to being an advanced alien robot from another world. A huff of air escaped his vents in the form of a sigh. Like a human, his body moved when he took in air and expelled it, mostly because it made the humans of his universe feel they could relate to his kind. However, for Arcee, when she was doing the same thing, her body never moved like a human's. Even in recharge, she was as still as a dead statue. Wing Saber grunted. The irony of that was not lost to him, since statues were never alive to begin with. When he was in recharge, his body still moved like a human's for air intake.

He was a bit freaked out, but he sighed. It was time for the shift change. He reached over and nudged Arcee. "Hey, it's time to change watches."

Arcee's blue optics came online and she sat up. Wing Saber felt creeped out by the way she moved so much like a robot. _'Well, we_ both_ are, but still...'_ She looked over at him. "I see. Well, you can get some recharge then. I will take over."

Wing Saber did just that, laying down before his optics dimmed and he fell into recharge. However, while his body relaxed, Arcee was quick to note that even when in recharge, when all systems would be ceased to function in an active state, Wing Saber's body still moved slightly. It was more for his intakes instead of his limbs and servos, but it was still movement nonetheless. She watched as his chest rose and fell with each intake and exhalation of the air in his systems and body, and it made her wonder just how different the two of them were. _'It's odd... His body moves while he recharges? What kind of mech is_ he?'

Her mind wandered back to the task at hand instead of pondering Wing Saber for much longer. She had a job to do after all...

* * *

_Ruins_

On the _Constitution_, Heero was in his room as the other two teams came back. Thanks to using the Raptor and the Dynames, Kira, Cagalli, Mark, and Luna had all been retrieved with no issues. But now came the hard part, actually figuring out what to do now. The admiral set down the papers he had been reading over and looked out the window of his room. He could see the sun setting on the horizon, and it made him frown slightly.

Heero perked up as the door to his room opened. Looking back, he saw it was Leo. "What is it?"

"I was just wondering what your plans are now that the two teams have returned." Leo replied as he took a seat in front of Heero's desk.

Heero leaned forwards and placed his hands in front of his mouth as he put them together in a fist. "To be honest, there is no plan."

Leo was surprised. "You mean you have just been winging it this whole time?!"

"Essentially, yes." The human replied. "And that cannot last much longer."

"So... what do you plan to do?" Leo asked, concerned now.

"That... we need to figure out." Heero sighed. "It seems the more we try to hide, the more others find out about us. We tried to remain unseen in the eyes of Sammael, but he is already on to us. We tried to infiltrate, and we just stand out because we lack Semblances and Auras. And now we can't act on information from the past, because none of it is relevant to our mission, which is to find out what we can about this place and how to beat Sammael."

Leo frowned at hearing that. "I see..." He began before he realized something. "Wait... you said you were trying to hide from Sammael, and yet he is finding out about you, right?"

"Yes..." Heero growled. "Why?"

"Well... what if you _don't_ hide, but hide at the same time?" Leo asked.

Heero raised an eyebrow at the question. "What do you mean?"

"You're a smart man, Admiral. I think you could figure it out if think about it long enough. I mean, one of your teams has already done it." Leo replied as he leaned back into his chair.

Heero looked down, his mind pondering over what he had just been told. _'Hide, and yet don't hide, at the same time? What does that...!'_ Heero perked up when he realized what Leo was getting at. _'Wait... Akira and Flay have infiltrated yes, but they haven't been using their real identities. Is Leo trying to tell me we_ don't_ have to rely on only stealth? That we can use a false cover to hide our real selves, but spread false intel to throw off Sammael?'_

Looking at Leo, the human could see the Mobian's smirk. "Do you understand now, Admiral?"

Heero felt a smirk cross his own lips. "We don't _have_ to hide, but we _can_."

"Yes." Leo replied before he became serious. "So, what are you going to do?"

Looking at an image of himself in his flight suit, Heero had an idea. "I think I have something..."

* * *

In a matter of minutes, the whole team was assembled in the pilot briefing room, save for Chris, Shinn, Flay, and Akira. Heero came in, wearing his flight suit again. "Okay, I have figured out what our course of action will be." He announced.

"Finally!" Yzak grumbled. "We can't keep grasping at straws here!"

"I know, Yzak." Heero assured the hot-blooded pilot. "Anyway, it would seem Sammael is trying to catch onto us, so what we have to do is give him what he wants."

Everyone was appalled at the suggestion. "You mean we just leave?!" Tao demanded angrily.

"Quite the opposite." Heero said as he looked at her. "We _give_ him what he wants."

Derek cocked an eyebrow. "What does that mean?"

In response, Heero put on his flight suit's helmet. "Tell me, can you see my face?"

Derek blinked. "No. But what does that have to do with what you suggested, sir?"

"Everything." Heero replied as he reached up and removed the helmet. "We _give_ Sammael what he seeks."

"Just spit it out, Yuy!" Yzak snapped.

Heero sighed. "It's simple. If we can't reveal our true selves, then what else can we do?"

"We use false names." Liz replied, but that was not what Heero was expecting as an answer.

"Yes, but there is _another_ option as well, because what if our false names _failed_ to dissuade Sammael from trying to find us?" Heero pressed.

Liz and the rest of the unit looked down in thought. Then, Dearka perked up. "Hold on..." _'Heero wore his flight suit, and asked if the helmets made it hard to see our faces. Is_ that_ what he means? We go out in public, but rely on our flight suits to protect our identities?'_ He looked at Heero. "You want us to wear our flight suits if we ever go out to fight Grimm, Fallen, or even Satyra, right?"

The smirk on Heero's face said it all.

Beside Dearka, Liz looked up in surprise. "You mean we don't have to try to hide ourselves?"

"We do, but we don't at the same time..." Athrun realized. "The flight suits will hide our real identities, but fool Sammael into thinking we are some alien species or something else!"

"Exactly." Heero explained. "That is what I meant by we _give_ Sammael what he wants."

"So we give him what he seeks, without revealing our real identities!" General Allen remarked with a grin of her own. "Nice!"

Heero nodded. "Yes, but we need to be careful as usual."

The team nodded, deciding it was time to make their move, and it a big way...

* * *

Outside the _Constitution_, Cree was watching the ruins, not even seeing the ship that was nearby, albeit due to its stealth armor instead of her ignoring it. The 'archeologists' had disappeared from the ruins, which made her wonder what was going on. Ever since she had arrived, the people studying the ruins had slowly begun to filter out and then she had begun to see 'faceless' forms walking around. The fox Faunus couldn't help but wonder if the people she had seen had actually been disguises for these new beings.

Cree tensed up as her Faunus hearing picked up on the sound of another Seer Grimm, but this time it was focused on her. Sammael was no doubt waiting for her report. With a sigh, Cree turned to face the Grimm. "I am here at the ruins of an unknown base, and currently watching to see what those 'archeologists' have to hide." She then looked back, only for the Grimm to follow her line of sight. "And it would seem I have found out what it is."

The Seer Grimm looked back at her again as Cree continued her report. "Those 'archeologists' are not humans. They are alien-like beings that have no faces."

In response, the Seer Grimm flew off, leaving Cree to her thoughts.

* * *

_Sammael's Lair_

Sammael put a hand to his chin in thought. _'So, it would seem we have aliens here. But why are aliens interested in the ruins?'_ The Fallen was surprised that there were aliens interested in the lost tomb of King Ozric, the very one who had tried to have him killed.

_'But if these are aliens, then what race are they? And what are their intentions here?'_ Sammael wondered before the scene shifted to show more of the faceless forms coming out of the tents, which only backed up the images he had been shown by Cree earlier.

This was proving to be _very_ interesting to him, it seemed. Sammael gave a small smile. "It seems our mysterious benefactors of the False Gem are indeed not of this dimension. But what race are they, and what dimension do they hail from...? _That_ is what I wish to know, my dear faceless friends..."

* * *

_Ruins_

At the ruins, Yzak sighed as he lifted a piece of rubble, now clad in his flight suit. Beside him, Liz, wearing her own flight suit, was helping to lift some pieces of metal that were still on the floor. Off to the side, Heero, also in his flight suit, was busy with Leo and Nicol, the latter also wearing his flight suit as well. They were trying to open the coffin of the late ruler who had been buried here, looking for more clues about this place.

The commander of Zero Squad perked up as he saw the lid of the coffin move, opening slightly. _***"It looks like we got the tomb**_** open."*** Heero exclaimed, making Yzak look over.

In order to hide their voices as being human, using their flight suits' built-in translators, the team was now speaking in Cybertronian. For Leonardo's sake, he had been given a translator that was able to be worn near his ear, under his headband that he wore around his eyes.

_***"Well, what's in it, Yuy?"***_ Yzak asked as he made his way over.

_***"There's a body in here."***_ Nicol replied as he moved the lid aside even more. _***"It may be the old king, emperor, or whatever."***_

Making his way over completely, Yzak peered inside the now opened tomb coffin. Sure enough, there was perfectly intact mummy, one that was dressed in old clothes of the Forgotten Age, and a simple crown of silver, a mere band of it really. _***"Odd. The body doesn't have an elaborate crown, just a metal band of silver."***_ Yzak noted as Heero gave a glance inside himself. He could see the silver-haired pilot was right.

_***"Well, whatever the reason for the simple crown, we know this was some kind of ruler, maybe a lesser noble, or it could have been the last ruler of this civilization."***_ Heero noted as the lid was removed completely. The mummy looked to be in perfect condition, but until they got it to their ship and jumped home, they wouldn't know how the leader died, and how old the ruler had been at the time of death.

Leo looked in as well, feeling a bit curious himself. "Hmm... I wonder how powerful this person's civilization was."

_***"We will get to that as we continue to explore the ruins."***_ Heero told Leo, who understood thanks to that translator he had been given.

Leo smiled at that. "Good to know."

Athrun, wearing his flight suit as well, was in front of the old doors, trying to pry them open, but to no avail so far. He frowned before he saw what looked to be a lock, but one that he had never seen before. Curious, the admiral looked around for what could be a key, picking up random pieces of rubble, artifacts, or steel that lay around. Once he had enough pieces, Athrun made his way to the door, only to begin to stick the objects into the lock. Each one seemed to not fit because it was too big or just fall right out because it was too small. At least, until he stuck in one that fit snugly. His emerald eyes went wide at the realization he had found the way to get into the sealed room. _***"Hey! I think I found the key to open these doors!."***_

At hearing his words, the team dropped what they were doing and ran over to the doors, just as Athrun began to push them open. _***"Way to go, Athrun!"***_ Tao exclaimed as she saw the doors opening. _***"Now we can find out what is behind these doors."***_

The doors were pushed open until they came to a stop, just in time for lights to shine in from the flashlights the team was carrying. Leo stepped inside, his Mobian sight allowing him to see in the dark quite easily when compared to a Coordinator's enhanced eyesight, which wasn't as sharp as his.

Leo flicked his gaze around before he saw something that sat off to the side. He walked over, only to gasp and back away in shock, for before him was a large bomb. Looking around, Leo could see other bombs and explosives that were everywhere. "Uh... do any of you know how to disable bombs or something?"

_***"I do."***_ Nicol replied. _***"Why do you ask?"***_

"Just look around." Leo replied as he pointed at another bomb. Nicol's eyes, hidden by his grey glass faceplate, went wide as he saw what the turtle Mobian was going on about.

_***"Fuckin' slaggin' shit..."***_ Nicol swore as he realized the _whole room_ was armed with bombs and explosives. _***"Hey, Heero? I think you were right when you said we had to be careful here. This place is**_** rigged_ with bombs and explosives!_****"***

Heero looked around and frowned to himself. _***"It would seem so."***_ He noted. _***"If that is the case, which it seems to be, then we have to disarm these things before we move any further into the ruins."***_

Nicol at once went to work, pulling out the panel that showed the interior of the first bomb. While he was the explosives expert, this was something that was using foreign technology, and as such, he had to _really_ be careful or things could go awry in a _bad_ way. Nicol narrowed his brown eyes as he began to look over the armed core.

_'It seems to be similar to our technology, just... not as advanced. I_ should_ be able to disarm this, provided the rest of it is not too advanced for me to handle.'_ Nicol thought as he began to pick apart the bomb's innards before he began to feel more confident in his ability to disarm it without setting it off on accident. _'Okay, it looks like the rest of it is what I thought it would be. I can disarm it with no issues.'_ He pulled his head out of the bomb's innards and faced the rest of his team. _***"I should be able to disarm this one and the rest of them with no trouble."***_

_***"So the technology is similar to our own?"***_ Dearka asked as he, also wearing his flight suit, came over.

_***"From what I can see, yes, it is."***_ Nicol confirmed. _***"This will make disarmament much easier."***_

Heero nodded. _***"Then get to it. We need these things disarmed before we can begin to study this room in particular."***_

Nicol nodded and went to work on disarming the bombs.

* * *

**GrimmFall**

Akira and Flay were busy with their own jobs, trying to get information on what was going on. They had received the order from Heero about wearing their flight suits to hide themselves when not undercover, to play up the role of being aliens or specters of some kind. So, they were now wearing their flight suits and sitting on a wall outside Mayor Sebben's office. _***"So, what do you think we will learn?"***_ Flay asked as she looked at Akira.

_***"Just shut up and listen."***_ Akira growled before the duo turned back to the window. They could hear Mayor Sebben talking with Callie Briggs, but what it was about, they could not hear very well. At least, until Flay activated the little transmitter that Akira had placed under the mayor's chair. Now they could hear what was being said.

_"So, what do you think the two new hires are hiding from us?"_ Callie asked as her tail twitched slightly in worry.

_"You know very well I cannot reveal and why I cannot."_ Mayor Sebben replied. _"This eye of mine takes a lot out of me, and if what can happen is revealed, fate will fight to change that."_

Upon hearing that, Flay and Akira both gasped. _***"Hold on... Is he talking about... being able to... see the... future?"***_ Flay murmured as Akira's golden eyes narrowed slightly.

_***"It would seem so, but we can't determine that for sure unless we sneak into his house and observe what that eye of his looks like."***_ Akira replied with a frown. _***"There is a chance that could get us caught if we try to do such a thing, so I would not risk it if we can help it or avoid it."***_

Flay gave a nod, peering back in through the window. She peered over a bit _too_ far however, and was nearly spotted by Callie if Akira didn't pull Flay back in time. _***"Ack!"***_

_***"Be careful! You**_**know_ we_**_** can't get spotted!"***_ Akira hissed before he peered around the edge of the window himself. It was clear that the duo in the office was talking about them, well, their civilian identities anyway.

_"I have seen many things with this eye, and to think, there is a new group, one that threatened Satyra of all organizations, and they are being hunted down by Sammael to find out what they are capable_ of." Mayor Sebben murmured to Callie. _"I can only hope this group is on their toes and ready to flee if they encounter Sammael. If he were to find out about them, fleeing would be the best thing they could do, and never return."_

Akira gave a snort. _'Like we would actually run away and not come back. Sure, we would leave yes, but we _will_ come back no matter what. We have people here whom were kidnapped, and we need them back before we can even think of not returning.'_ He thought before Callie spoke up, catching his attention again.

_"Mayor Sebben, I know you can't reveal too much, lest the future we all seek fail to come about. But can you at least tell me what their name is?"_ Callie asked, but the mayor sighed as his hand went to his eye patch.

_"That, my dear Callie, I do not know."_ Mayor Sebben replied at last. _"It was never revealed to me."_

Flay gave a bit of a smirk, although it was unseen by anyone, even Akira. Callie frowned from behind the window's glass. _"So, they remain unnamed?"_

_"For now, yes."_ The mayor replied sadly. Then, he suddenly perked up and made his way over to the window, just in time to see the two pilots sitting on the wall outside it.

_***"Crap!"***_ Akira swore as he and Flay stood up before running _down_ the wall thanks to their gecko boots on their flight suits. _***"Move it, Flay!"***_

_***"No need to tell me twice!"***_ Flay exclaimed as she followed her fellow pilot.

* * *

Looking out from his office window, Mayor Sebben frowned at seeing the faceless forms running from where he had seen them perched.

Callie was gaping as she too watched the sight before her eyes. "W-what _are_ those?!" She squeaked out.

"It would seem we had some unwanted listeners." Mayor Sebben noted. However there was something on his mind, and it had to do with the golden emblem he had seen on both of those forms. _'That symbol... Is it possible those two were members of that very group that had threatened Satyra?'_

His uncovered eye narrowed as he watched the two faceless forms vanish into the crowd after they left the wall. It seemed this group was far more skilled than he thought when it came to things he didn't expect.

* * *

Flay and Akira had fled, and were now panting as they reached the hotel where they were staying. Flay removed her helmet and 'Snoopy Cap' before tossing both onto the bed, Akira doing the same with his own helmet and 'Snoopy Cap'.

"That was too close..." The female Natural murmured as she slumped onto her rump on the floor.

"Don't remind me..." Akira sighed as he sat down on the couch. "We will have to be more careful from here on out."

Flay gave a nod. "Yeah. I'm just glad our flight suits can keep our faces hidden."

Akira gave a grunt. "Yeah, but it also makes us stand out."

"That may be the idea. If we appear to have no faces, then that will be working against this Sammael, because, from what I hear, he is looking for us actively. It will feed him false intel." Flay pointed out. "Heero wouldn't have us do this for no reason."

Akira smirked. "Heh... That's just like Yuy. He always thinks ahead."

Flay giggled at that, knowing it was true.

* * *

_"Yeah. And when he does, it always because he is thinking about us and our well being."_

It showed a Seer Grimm and Cree observing the ruins as the 'faceless ones' continued their work.

Inside the _Constitution_, it showed the bridge crew working on data sorting to organize what was being found so far.

* * *

Akira grinned. "Well, we have work tomorrow, so we may as well get some sleep."

Flay nodded, a yawn escaping her. "Good idea..."

* * *

_Hall of Justice_

In the medical bay, things were getting a bit worrisome since Valhallen had brought Agunimon down there due to his stab wound. The Warrior of Flame had been having trouble breathing, so he was now sedated and had to have some help with his breathing, hence why he had a tube down his throat to help aid in the task.

"So what's happened to him?" Kazemon asked in worry.

Doctor Melinda Princess examined Agunimon, using her Semblance to find the exact problem before turning to Valhallen, Kazemon and Lowemon. "There's no doubt about it. He was stabbed with a knife that had a special poison."

"Stabbed?" Kazemon looked frantically at Agunimon. "Poison?"

"How long ago was this? You did a check on everyone right after all the fights during and after the Crom crises." Valhallen stated.

"I did. This was not during those fights. This was very recent as in hours ago." Doctor Princess said, gesturing to the bandaged wound. "Possibly while he was asleep."

"Someone stabs him in his sleep and he feels nothing? Shouldn't he have woken up, screaming in reflex from the pain?" Valhallen asked.

"As far as I can see this poison numbs certain sensations traveling along the nerves, including pain. This is a very rare poison that I have only seen in a hand full of cases. It involves a special arachnid type Grimm." Doctor Princess explained. "Their poison has been known to be extremely lethal. I remember there being a message to get a sample of this poison so I could synthesize an antidote."

"I remember that mission. White Tiger was the one who was sent to find that spider." Valhallen recalled.

"Yes and I've made progress in creating an antidote but I have been busy lately." Doctor Princess explained.

"What effects would it have on a Digimon?" Lowemon asked.

Doctor Princess sighed. "I can't really tell, but from what I can see, it seems to be affecting his ability to breathe at least, and it may affect other parts too, but that is unknown. This is the first time I have seen something like this in one of you Digimon." She then looked back up at Lowemon. "But as far as I can tell, the poison seems to be reacting as though you guys are human. That gives me some hope that the antidote will work as it does on anyone else who gets bitten."

Kazemon glanced at Agunimon's limp form, worry present on her face. _'Why... Why does this kind of stuff keep happening to him?'_ She wondered to herself.

Valhallen frowned. "But where could someone have gotten the poison? We had it locked up tight where very few can get to it."

Lowemon looked back at the Viking god. "Don't you guys have security cameras?"

"We do, but it will take a while to comb through the data and video feeds to get to the footage we need, provided it hasn't been erased." Valhallen admitted, albeit begrudgingly.

"And all the while, Agunimon's life is on the line..." Lowemon growled.

Just then, Tiki Torch came in, worried about Agunimon's well-being. "What happened? I heard Agunimon was hurt by some kind of poison. Is he okay?"

"It's kind of unknown what will happen, but things seem promising with the creation of an antidote underway already." Lowemon explained as Valhallen looked to the flame-themed hero.

"Did you check the video feeds of our security cameras?" The God of Rock asked as Tiki Torch frowned, his mask altering to fit his mood.

"I did, but it seems someone, most likely the perpetrator, erased the data, or put it onto a time loop feed." Tiki Torch explained. "It made it impossible to find the one who was behind the incident."

Valhallen frowned. "So there's no way to find the attacker?"

"I'm afraid not..." Tiki Torch sighed.

* * *

_"If we knew where to look for help on this matter, we could get to the bottom of this in a matter of hours, but as it stands, it will take days if not weeks at this rate."_

Major Glory was looking at the image of Mayor Sebben, who had told him of the odd 'faceless ones' whom had been outside the mayor's office window earlier in the day.

"And you're sure these 'faceless ones' were not human?" The major asked as Mayor Sebben's image nodded.

_"I am. They were sticking to the wall and speaking in an odd language that we could not_ understand." The mayor's image explained. _"When Callie and I looked out, the forms fled. I can only assume they are hiding in disguise as humans, but as to what identities they have as humans, we do not know what those are."_

"So you want me to be on the lookout, correct?" Major Glory rumbled.

The image of Mayor Sebben nodded. _"Yes, but only because these forms seem to be skilled at things we can't comprehend yet."_

Thinking back, Major Glory recalled how two civilians had slipped into the Hall of Justice, only for the 'faceless ones' to emerge after. He had an idea as to whom those people were now, but he didn't want to let the mayor know just yet that he was aware of the possible identities of the 'faceless ones' Mayor Sebben had seen earlier.

"I see. Thank you for this warning, Mayor Sebben." Major Glory said. "I will keep an eye out for these 'faceless ones'."

Mayor Sebben's image nodded before the screen went dark.

* * *

With Akira and Flay, Akira lay in his bed, looking up at the ceiling of their room. He was pondering his position as an aide to Mayor Sebben. _'I know it is required for me to be undercover as an aide, but... is it worth the risk? Maybe... I should quit and go undercover elsewhere?'_ He had thoughts running through his head at that point.

_'Yeah. I think we have a better chance of finding information if it is just Flay at the mayor's office as a secretary. She can sneak into the systems while working, and I could go and find work elsewhere, and hopefully get more intel that way.'_ Akira realized. Sighing, he turned over and sat up, grabbing his laptop and bringing it online. He was going to send in his resignation and find work elsewhere, hopefully with more direct contact with some of the Hunters and Heroes around the city.

* * *

_The next day_

Mayor Sebben frowned as he read over Alex's letter of resignation. It seemed the young man wanted to work more directly with the Heroes and Huntsmen, not as a mere aide to a mayor. Reaching up and touching his eye patch, Mayor Sebben had an idea of where he could send Alex. The young man had too much talent to let go to waste, so the mayor would refer Alex to a more prestigious place of work. _'Alex's skills would be more useful in the Hall of Justice, if I must say so myself.'_ Mayor Sebben thought with a bit of a chuckle. Oh, he knew who Alex and Fiona _really_ were, he was just not saying out of respect for them and a desire to keep the path for the good future in place.

He sent an email back to 'Alex', saying he was referring the former aide to the Hall of Justice, a place of higher caliber work that would fit his skills.

The response was one he had been hoping for. _'It seems Alex is interested. I will ping Major Glory and let him know there is a new employee coming to work for the Justice Friends.'_

Mayor Sebben emailed Alex back, telling him that Major Glory would be expecting him in a few hours.

* * *

**Hall of Justice**

Sure enough, Major Glory was surprised at the mayor's email to him, but he figured it would be a good idea. The Hall of Justice had a few civilians working in its walls, so what was one more?

It was around 10 in the morning that Alex Nealson, the one Mayor Sebben had referred to him, entered. Major Glory's unseen eyes narrowed slightly. This was the same young man whom had been chased inside the Hall of Justice some time ago to escape Katz it seemed. However, he was not about to voice that to the new hire in case he scared him off. "So, you are Alex Nealson, correct?" Major Glory asked.

"Yes, I am." The young man, Alex, replied. "I am here because of Mayor Sebben referring me to your organization."

"I see. Well, let me tell you, Mr. Nealson, our work here is _very_ dedicated, and if you are to work with us, I expect your utmost best, no matter what happens." Major Glory said sternly. "We do not take on civilian workers very often, so we have to hold them to a higher standard than normal places of work for those not being Huntsmen or Heroes."

Alex gave a nod. "I can assure, Major, I am more than prepared to give my best." His tone of voice did not betray overconfidence or arrogance, much to Major Glory's surprise. It was a tone that told the symbol of peace that this young man knew what he could do, and what his limits were.

For Major Glory, it was refreshing to hear someone whom knew what they could do and what they could not do. He couldn't recount how many times he had heard of potential civilian employees acting like they could do everything, only to find out that the potential employee had bitten off more than they could chew when presented with a task they had claimed to be the best at.

"While it is good to hear you say that, I need to know just _what_ you are good at." Major Glory told Alex, who frowned a bit. "What is it that you specialize in? Mayor Sebben said you have some skills that were being squandered as his aide."

Alex seemed to freeze at that. _'Slag it_ all!' Alex thought to himself. _'Did that Mayor Sebben guy figure it out?! Does he know who I really am?!'_ However, he shoved that aside as he realized the major was awaiting his answer. Alex decided to play along and reveal _some_ information about himself, but not all. "I am good at computers and programming." He replied. "I am also a black belt in at least two different martial arts."

Major Glory seemed to not be that impressed, but Alex had one more thing to pull out. "If that isn't enough, I am also good with mechanics."

Major Glory perked up at that last one. "Are you?"

"Yes, I am." Alex replied. "I can fix quite a few things."

"How good are you at robotics?" Major Glory asked. Alex groaned to himself. _'Way to go about probing for a weakness, because you found one of mine...'_

"I'm not that good, but I know enough to fix basics." Alex replied. _'Athrun is more the robotics guy, not me. I'm just the basic maintenance level for such things.'_

However, that seemed to be what Major Glory was looking for if his next response was anything to go by. "That is more than enough to know." The major said, surprising Alex. The undercover Coordinator blinked in shock.

"You mean, I'm hired?" Alex asked, wanting to be sure.

"Not yet. I want to give you a task first before we talk about hiring you." Major Glory said. "You see, we have had an attack on someone in the Hall of Justice using a very rare and normally fatal poison that we have kept locked up, but someone took a vial and used a knife dipped in the poison to attack the victim."

Alex frowned. "Don't you have cameras to watch the place?"

"We do, but the attacker somehow hid themselves from the cameras, and we need someone to see if they can uncover the identity of the attacker." Major Glory explained. "It is suspected that a time loop feed was used or somehow the video footage of the attacker's intrusion into the Vault of Ancient Powers was erased."

Alex frowned to himself again. _'Yeah... definitely sounds like a time loop feed or video erasure.'_

"So, can you help us?" Major Glory asked as he looked at Alex directly.

There was a look of certainty as well as determination in Alex's blue eyes. "You can count on me."

"We will see." Major Glory said before he stood up and let Alex take a seat. "My computer has access to the security database, so you should be able to use it to find out what you need."

* * *

For Akira, this was his ticket in. He just had to find the attacker. _'Shouldn't be too hard.'_ He thought as he began to type away. His Coordinator reflexes allowed his hands to fly over the keyboard like it was nothing. Program data came up, as did connection data and the different video feeds were shown as well.

"When did this attack happen?" Akira asked, trying to get some information to help him find out what he was looking for.

"It was two nights ago." Major Glory replied.

_'So the footage I am looking for starts from three days ago, if not a week. I will start from a week ago and see what I can uncover.'_ Akira thought as he began to access the video feeds from the cameras near the Vault of Ancient Powers. He sped through the video while looking for any anomalies in the footage and the connection itself. However, there was no video errors and the connections to the database and cameras seemed to be intact. Akira began to poke through the programming to see if there was a loop feed that was active, but there seemed to be none at the moment, which made him frown some more.

"Have you found anything yet, Alex?" Major Glory asked as Akira continued his work.

"Not yet, but it seems all connections and programming parameters for the cameras to the database are intact and functioning as they should. I see no loop feeds so far, but this is just the first day. I may find something yet." Akira replied.

Major Glory sighed. "Well, I hope you find something soon, because I cannot let an attacker at the Hall of Justice remain at large." He looked down in worry. "I worry for my team and their well-being while this person is at large."

_'You and me both, Major.'_ Akira thought. He didn't like the idea of someone being behind an attack and not getting caught either, not since he had experienced it personally. _'But that is why I _will_ help you find your mysterious threat, no matter what!'_

Akira sat there for the next few hours, combing through the video footage with a fine-toothed comb, only eating when Major Glory brought him some food and to take a drink or use the bathroom. When Major Glory came back, Akira had finally found a promising lead. "What have you found?"

"I think I found a lead." Akira replied. "It's faint, but it seems there was an outside connection that hacked in during the footage from three days ago, around 2300 hours, or 11 pm."

"Really?! What did it show?" Major Glory asked as he walked over and looked at the footage himself. Akira was already working on removing the interference, slowly revealing a form outside the Vault of Ancient Powers.

"Just give me a few more minutes, and I should have the attacker's form revealed." Akira replied. "Whomever did the interference made sure it was on the same frequency as the cameras' footage data, which means that the attacker had some sort of accomplice or help. By matching the interference to the color frequencies of this camera, the attacker was made erased without a time loop feed or video erasure."

Major Glory looked confused at the technological explanation, so Akira decided to simplify it for him. "In layman's terms, this interference made the attacker invisible to the cameras for about an hour, if not less."

Akira didn't even look away from the screen as he worked. Slowly, the interference began to fade away even more, revealing a small, skinny form that had poofy hair, wore a light blue shirt with white pants and black sneakers, and had a retainer on around his mouth. Major Glory felt his hidden eyes widen in shock as Akira's own concealed golden eyes went wide as well.

"By the Liberty Bell... _Jimmy_ is our attacker?!" The major breathed in shock and disbelief. "But... how?!"

"I don't know, but it seems he had help." Akira replied, frowning now. "This kind of interference is too advanced for a kid to know, let alone implement on this kind of scale."

Major Glory looked back at Akira. "Well, I think it's safe to say you are hired."

Akira glanced back at the major. "So did I pass?"

"Yes, that and more." Major Glory said with pride. "You helped us big time."

Akira grinned. "Hey, I went through someone I knew being murdered and not getting justice for them in that the attacker was sentenced to life behind bars without parole. I wasn't about to let it happen again if I could help it."

Major Glory's smile grew broader. "You will fit in just fine here, then!"

The undercover Coordinator smirked. _'Wait until Heero gets wind of this!'_

* * *

**Ruins**

Heero and the rest of the unit were resting on the ship now, having decided to hold off on anymore digging for a while. It would be two more days before the rest of the bombs were disarmed, so until then, they had to wait.

As it was, the admiral had just gotten word that Akira had managed to get employment in this Hall of Justice, which was home to several prominent heroes, so that was the one big break they had. It meant they had access to hard to find files and information now.

Heero smirked to himself. "Well, this keeps getting more interesting, doesn't it, Zero?"

In the hanger, Wing Zero's optics flared in response, as if acknowledging its pilot's words before things went dark...

* * *

** Zero Squad finally implements a plan to become the 'faceless ones' as Agunimon is found to have been poisoned while Akira gets hired by the Hall of Justice to find the attacker at Mayor Sebben's reference. What awaits Jimmy now that his secret of being the attacker is revealed? And how will Akira fit in with the Justice Friends as a civilian employee? Read on to find out~! :3**


	4. Darkness of Deceit IV

**Here is another chapter~! :3**

**D.N Works: Yep for Jimmy~! XD**

**GCD: You will see~! ;3**

**merendinoemiliano: Heero will not upgrade Wing Zero sadly, as it is already considered OP in their home universe. XP**

**nightmaster000: Glad you liked the computer skills scene and the whole thing with Wing Saber and Arcee. You will see more of that in this chapter too, and the scene with Jimmy will happen here too~! :3**

**Lord Maximus: You will see if they can remain hidden. :3**

**Titanic X: Glad you liked that scene. :3**

**Note: If any readers have an account, then please review using your account please. If you are too lazy to log in, then at least leave your account name so I can know who you are. If any reader does not have an account, then at least use a **consistent** name when reviewing so I can respond in a more personal manner, as the name 'Guest' does not seem too personable to me.**

* * *

_Constitution_

Heero looked on as data from Mayor Sebben's office came in, and he was impressed Flay was able to overhear everything thanks to that small bug. _'Hmm... It would seem that the source of the dimensional breeches is in this place called Nowhere, in the mountains near it to be precise.'_ He mused.

Things seemed to be looking up now. They had a lead on where the _Steelhaven_ was, and they also had information on where the source of the breeches was located.

He stood up and made his way out of his room. He walked down to the pilot lounge, where he saw a few of the team's pilots. Athrun, Nicol, Derek, and Yzak were all sitting around a table talking, only to stop when they saw Heero approaching them.

"What do you want, Yuy?" Yzak grumbled.

"I have a mission for two pilots to pull off, and I would like those pilots to be 1st Lieutenant Amalfi and Commander Lockheed." Heero replied, making the two pilots in question look at the admiral.

"What sort of mission?" Nicol asked as he and Derek stood up.

"We have a lead on the source of those dimensional breeches and also the possible location of the _Steelhaven_." Heero said, making the other pilots there gasp.

"Are you serious?!" Athrun asked as he stood up as well.

"Yes." Heero replied. "But this mission is one that requires stealth and finesse."

Nicol and Derek both saluted. "We'll carry out this mission to the best of our abilities." Nicol said as Derek nodded.

"You can count on us, sir." Derek added.

Heero nodded. "Alright then. You two are to move out to the location in question. According to the _Arc_, which is in Earth Orbit, the _Steelhaven_'s transmitter is still transmitting, but only with partial signals. They have a potential lead, but it is questionable at best. Therefore, you two are to track the signals as they come to try and narrow down the exact location. If we can find the _Steelhaven_, we will find the source of those dimensional breeches. When that is done, you two are to either destroy the dimensional transport device, or failing that, destroy the power source. However, if you can't find the machine and destroy it, then look for any information on where it could possibly be located."

Nicol nodded. "Okay. We can do that."

Heero gave a smirk. "I know you can. That is why I assigned you two to this mission."

The two pilots left for their lockers to change into their flight suits so they could pull off the mission.

Yzak looked at Heero. "You sure about this, Yuy? Waiting wouldn't have been such a bad idea."

"The longer we wait, the more the chances of a dimensional breech being successful raise." Heero explained. "We need to act before that happens. As it stands, with what Flay sent us, it sounds like others are being sucked from their home dimensions to this one. If we can destroy that device, or destroy the power supply, then we can prevent others from being dragged here against their will."

Yzak nodded, agreeing that it was a logical decision to reach.

* * *

**GrimmFall**

Flay listened in on the small transmitter that she and Akira had placed into Mayor Sebben's office, sending the data as she typed it up back to the _Constitution_, which was what her orders had been coming from lately. She was able to overhear about others being sucked into this dimension against their will, and that alarmed her. But it also explained the dimensional breeches lately. _'Someone was trying to do the same to our dimension!'_ Flay realized before she typed that up and sent it off to the _Constitution_. Hopefully Heero would be able to send out a team to destroy that machine, provided it wasn't moved.

She placed her headphones back down into her backpack and closed out of the top-secret transmission program, just as the door to Mayor Sebben's office opened and the guests inside came out. One was a young girl with pale, almost grey, skin and wearing a black leotard with a blue cloak, blue hair, and blue eyes. The SEED-type was able to sense this girl's powers with her Newtype abilities, and Flay shivered. The girl looked over at Flay, who looked away and turned back to her computer that sat on her desk. Flay even resumed typing up the stuff she was supposed to be typing up as a secretary.

_'I hope this doesn't turn out to be a waste of time for the team Heero sends to look for that machine...'_ Flay thought to herself as she continued her work for her cover.

* * *

_Hall of Justice_

Major Glory was still somewhat appalled at what he had seen from the computer video footage that Alex had uncovered. "It was young Jimmy who was our attacker..."

"It appears so." Alex replied as he placed both hands on the desk he was sitting at and clenched his fists together. "But what I _don't_ understand is how that kid had such advanced help. He is just a kid. Not even a prodigy in computer programming could write code that advanced without years of training to take it on and that is just writing it. Not even years of constant refinement of such a program could make a person totally invisible to the cameras like that."

Major Glory looked at Alex. "You did us a big favor. Without you, we would have never known about this."

Alex nodded, but just waved off the compliment. "I just did my job."

Then, the door slid open, revealing Valhallen and E-Male coming in.

"So this is the guy who uncovered our attacker?" The God of Rock asked as Major Glory gave a smile to him.

"It is. Valhallen, E-Male, I would like you to meet our newest civilian employee, Alex Nealson."

Alex gave a wave to them. "Hi."

Valhallen smiled back at the young man, but something about this person seemed different somehow, and the God of Rock could sense it. "Well, nice to meet you."

E-Male gave a look to Alex with a bit of a scoff. "So he is one of those civvies? What a bore."

Alex frowned, not liking the way the blue-dressed hero was talking about him.

Valhallen gave E-Male a look. "E-Male, he did something no one else could do in uncovering the attacker who poisoned one of our guests."

E-Male gave another scoff. "Whatever." He then turned and left, making Valhallen sigh as he shook his head.

Valhallen then looked at Alex. "Sorry about that, hacker dude. E-Male doesn't like the fact that civilians work here. He thinks only heroes should be allowed in the Hall of Justice."

Alex just waved it off. "Meh. It can't be worse than being attacked for something someone can't control."

* * *

To Akira, that sounded a lot like the attitude certain Naturals and Coordinators had towards each other before the Decade of Division. But it wasn't his problem. From what he could tell, Major Glory had a decent handle on the situation, so he let it slide.

The blonde-haired rocker smiled again. "So, how _did_ you find our attacker?"

"All I did was clean up some interference that made the attacker invisible on the same color frequencies that the cameras were showing." Akira replied like it was the simplest thing in the world. "In other words, the attacker had help from the outside, and that accomplice had a program that masked the attacker's image."

"Wow, that sounds _way_ more advanced than what we can do here." The rocker mused.

_'You're telling me. I'm a _Second-Generation Coordinator_ and even _I_ couldn't create a program that could do that kind of stuff without years of training and refinement of said program!'_ Akira thought to himself. _'Such a program is hard to create on its own, never mind the sheer refinement that would be needed over the years. Whoever did this is _very_ skilled with computers and their programming, enough to get even _me_ on edge.'_

"Valhallen, why don't you show Alex here to one of the rooms he can stay in while I get Jimmy? Once Alex is settled in, we will have a talk with Jimmy about what he did." Major Glory said as the rocker, Valhallen, nodded.

"You got it, Glory-boy!" The rocker said before looking at Akira. "Okay, hacker dude, let's go."

Akira smirked at the nickname. _'Heh, not bad for a nickname_._'_ He stood up and followed Valhallen out of the room.

* * *

In the medical wing, Tiki Torch, Kazemon, and Lowemon were worried about Agunimon. The Warrior of Flame hadn't moved since being sedated, and with that poison still in his body, his life was literally only there because of the machines keeping him alive.

The Warrior of Wind was very worried, even more so than usual. She looked like she was on the verge of crying, and there was very little Lowemon and Tiki Torch could do to help her. Lowemon sat beside Kazemon, clenching his fists tightly. Things were tense in the medical wing, and Dr. Princess could sense it. However, she had more pressing issues to worry about, like creating the antidote.

So, she left the threesome to stay by Agunimon's side. Kazemon reached out and grasped his limp right hand, squeezing it in hopes there would be a response. Sadly, there was none. She was about to break down crying before she felt something. Looking up in surprise, Kazemon swore she saw Agunimon's hand slowly, limply, squeezing her own. It was faint, but as long as he responded, there was chance he would recover.

Upon seeing that slight movement, Lowemon and Tiki Torch both felt a sense of relief. It meant Agunimon was still holding on for the moment. But the question was, could he last long enough for the antidote to be finished in time?

* * *

**Ruins**

Her eyes snapping open, Cree swore she heard something taking off, but when she looked around, she saw nothing that signaled a take-off. She had been dozing when she had heard the sound, but it had startled her awake.

Frowning, Cree decided to just let the mysterious noise go for now. _'If I can't see it, then it's most likely nothing to worry_ about.' She mused to herself.

However, if she had looked back _behind_ her, she would have seen a space close up, albeit silently.

* * *

**En route to Nowhere** **Mountains**

Nicol and Derek were in their respective machines, the Neo Blitz and the Raptor, with the former riding on the latter. _"So, do you think we can find this place?"_ Derek asked, using the secure communications line that only they knew of.

_"It's hard to say. As the signal of the _Steelhaven_ is being partially jammed, we have only that to go on. We know the general location of this dimensional breech machine, but finding it may be difficult."_ Nicol admitted.

_"Are you thinking the ones who have the _Steelhaven_ are behind the dimensional breeches?"_ The 'Transformer' asked.

_"It's possible. The location sent to us from the _Arc_ matches the general vicinity, so we have to assume that is the case."_ The 'Black Phantom' replied.

Derek gave a snort that was audible to Nicol. _"Great... We have our work cut out for us this time, don't we?"_

_"You never know, Derek."_ Nicol countered with a smirk. _"Remember, we are not Zero Squad for nothing."_

Derek gave a smirk that was unseen. _"True. We _do_ have some advantages that can come in handy..."_

Nicol nodded with a smile of his own. He knew what the SEED-type meant. Derek's Newtype abilities would allow him to sense any humans or other sentient lifeforms in the area, giving the duo of pilots an idea of where they could go.

However, it would take a few hours to get there at the speed they were flying at, so they had time to plan for a strategy.

* * *

**O-000**

Secretary General Willis looked down at the famed "Magnum Command" folder on his desk. He had yet to send out the code phrase to tell Zero Squadron they had permission to act with full force if necessary.

Just before he could do that though, the alarms in his office went off. The man slapped the folder down and brought up the cameras on some probes near the Nexus Federation. Sure enough, another breech as opening. But as before, thanks to the dimensional jamming technology, the portal was soon collapsing in on itself. However, this one was oddly close to one of the colonies, which set Secretary General Willis on edge. _'Crap... If one of the colonies gets attacked by that breech, then we're in trouble...'_

He could only hope that Zero Squad would stop this machine before it got to that point...

* * *

**GF-007**

Heero was filled with dread when the alert reached the _Constitution_. _'Good thing I sent Nicol and Derek on that mission...'_ He mused to himself as he sat back down at his desk. Heero put his head in his hands, groaning as he did so. _'How much longer will we have to deal with these near breeches?! The Nexus Federation nearly lost one of their colonies due to that breech being so close to one!'_

Just then, Leo entered into his room, only to stop in surprise at seeing the admiral with his head in his hands. "Are you okay, Admiral?"

"You try learning a dimensional breech nearly sucked in one of your home universe's space colonies and see how you feel." Heero replied as he removed his head from his hands with a sigh.

Leo frowned at hearing that. "So it's not good news, I take it?"

"Our dimensional jamming technology has worked out so far in protecting our universe, but we know it's only a matter of time before there is a successful breech." Heero admitted. "That is another reason why we are here; to destroy that machine and keep it from being successful." He then frowned. "But that's not the only reason either."

"What would the other reason be?" Leo asked.

"To keep others from being pulled in here against their will." Heero replied. "Others have been victims of this, and while we can come and go as we wish, they cannot, so we have to stop it from happening to anyone else as well."

Leo blinked in surprise. "So it's two-fold, your reason for destroying this machine?"

"Yes." Heero replied.

Leo then frowned. "But what if such a machine doesn't exist?"

"How do you explain others betting dragged here against their will?" Heero countered. "Like the appearance of these 'Digimon', one of which is known as the 'Grimm Slayer'?"

Leo blinked in surprise at that. "You... know of the Grimm Slayer?"

"We read about his exploits yes, but it was also because of a spy within the staff of Mayor Sebben's office. One of the two infiltration teams remaining to be exact." Heero explained. He then looked back outside at the sky from his room. "Apparently the Grimm Slayer is not from here."

Leo frowned. Now that he thought about it... "That... does make sense..."

Heero then turned back to face Leo. "Leonardo, you have been helpful to us in many ways, including taking out that Seer Grimm that was trying to get to us."

Leo waved off the compliment. "I am just helping you guys out with getting used to this place."

"Yes, but as I have mentioned, that Seer Grimm being taken out was a major one." Heero said seriously. "If that thing had managed to get onto one of the trucks headed back to this ship, then we would have been exposed to Sammael. As such, we of Zero Squadron owe you a debt."

"So?" Leo blinked, confused.

Heero then opened up the top drawer of his desk and took out a small item before he closed the drawer and held it out to Leo. It was the patch of the unit. "This patch is only given to Zero Squadron members or those whom I have personally deemed worthy to join the unit. Under normal circumstances I would not be giving this out, and any potential recruit has to go through a three-year training course, which includes a psychological profile during that time. But, given the circumstances are not normal, and how much you have been helping us, I think you would be worthy to have this patch."

Leo blinked in surprise. "Wait... You want _me_ to be a member of your unit?!"

"Not a full member, but an honorary one. Even still, you will be given full rank privileges and a rank of your own. However, you will also be required to, if the need should arise, pilot one of our machines" Heero explained. "That means we will be creating a custom OS for a single machine that will be given to you to use, but once our mission is done here, the rank and its privileges will be revoked, and the custom OS will be erased."

Leo frowned. "So it's not a permanent thing."

"That's right." Heero said. "As much as I would like it to be, we cannot take a chance, so this is only a temporary measure. However, it _will_ give you certain leeway when you are in our universe for any reason, as members of the unit are _not_ messed with."

Leo took the patch and looked at it. It was the same golden color that Admiral Yuy had for his own patch. Flipping the patch over, Leo could see it had a pin on the back, no doubt where it could be pinned to something if one didn't want to have it sewn on.

"But why give me this? I haven't done anything like you guys might be expecting." Leo replied. "Even taking out a Seer was normal for me."

"But as I have said, if you didn't, then we would have been exposed to Sammael." Heero explained for the third time. "Think about it; we are a dimension capable of entering and leaving other universes at will. We have genetic engineering, massive war machines that can take out entire cities, and space colonies as well as membership in a galactic confederation. We can make massive weapons of mass destruction that can wipe out entire _worlds_. How would Sammael, or any of the villains here react to the idea of war machines that can take out entire cities, let alone weapons that can destroy worlds?"

At hearing the admiral's words, Leo actually, to his credit, paled at the thought of such a thing happening. He had been told of their universe's history, and the thought of the human race facing extinction twice in _two years_ was scary enough. But if _his_ world had such technology... "Okay... I think I get why you asked me to join your unit then..."

"Yes. Now, do you accept the offer?" Heero asked. "It's your choice. If you choose to turn it down, we will understand and consider you just a helper and an ally."

Leo looked down at the patch again, a thoughtful look crossing his face. He pondered on what he could do, and how he could do it alone, or as a member of this elite team. Then, he looked back up at Heero, making to reach towards the desk, the patch held down towards the desk as if returning it.

* * *

**GrimmFall**

Major Glory had finally called Jimmy down to his room, and Akira and Vahallen were also there. Akira narrowed his eyes as he saw the small, feeble-bodied boy entering the room, looking quite nervous. _'_This_ is the kid behind the attack? He doesn't look like he could hold his own in battle at all. Even the weakest Natural in my universe could stand up to this kid, I'm sure.'_ However, the memory of that video footage stuck out in his mind. _'But all the same... this kid probably has _some_ kind of cunning to him if he was able to poison someone and get away with it.'_

"Y-you wanted to s-see me, Major Glory?" Jimmy squeaked out.

"I do." Major Glory said seriously. "You are here, Jimmy, because of something serious you have done."

"W-what did I do?" Jimmy asked, sounding not quite as scared as he should have been. Akira's eyes narrowed a bit more, as something didn't sound right about that.

"We had someone come in and do some video clean-up when one of our guests here at the Hall of Justice was attacked. The footage showed _you_, Jimmy, outside the Vault of Ancient Powers, stealing a very powerful poison." Major Glory said sternly. "Alex here was helping us with some security issues when he found the footage of the attack."

Jimmy glanced back at Akira, who glared back. But the look in Jimmy's eyes set Akira on edge, as the look Jimmy held in his eyes was one of pure malice, as though the undercover Coordinator had done something that wronged Jimmy. _'Okay, I _know_ I have seen combat, and I am no stranger to being given such glares, but for a _kid_ to have that glare is just disturbing, and I have seen the results of the _Extended Creation Project_, where kids were_ trained_ to have such a glare!'_

Major Glory didn't seem to notice Akira's discomfort, but that point was moot. Just then, Akira's sense for danger acted up before he felt his SEED send a sharp spasm of pain across his forehead. Akira grunted as he grasped at his head before he saw something glinting in Jimmy's grasp. His eyes widened as he saw Jimmy getting ready to react with the knife, which glinted dangerously in his hand. _'Ah, slag it!'_

Reacting on sheer instinct just as his SEED exploded with the vertical red wing around it in his mind's eye at the familiar feeling of fury, Akira lunged as Jimmy threw the knife towards Valhallen, pushing the God of Rock to the ground, the poisoned knife barely missing the Viking god's head. The knife embedded itself into the wall, just as Valhallen looked back at Akira, who was now panting as he looked up, his eyes in SEED Mode. One of his contacts hiding his real eye color had been knocked out as well, revealing his eyes were actually a golden color. Major Glory however, was more appalled that Jimmy had tried to attack one of his fellow Justice Friends members than realizing Akira's cover had almost been blown, all because Jimmy had been discovered as the attacker of Agunimon.

Akira glared at Jimmy with his SEED-dilated eyes, looking very intimidating. "You... are _so_ dead, kid..." Akira hissed as his hand went for his concealed firearm before pulling it and aiming it at Jimmy.

* * *

**Ruins**

Leo exited Admiral Yuy's room, the patch now on an arm band he was wearing. The turtle Mobian was very happy that he had managed to impress Heero himself, although it was more because he had done a big favor to the unit without realizing it at the time.

Yzak looked over as Leo entered into the pilot's lounge, seeing the patch on Leo's new arm band. "So, Yuy made you a member?"

"He did." Leo confirmed as he sat down, looking back at said patch. "I accepted the membership, but only because I would be able to help out my world more if I was part of an elite team."

Yzak gave a bit of a smirk. "Well, that's how we tend to work."

Leo just chuckled at the response. "It seems I have a lot to learn about you guys."

"That you do." Athrun agreed as he walked over, but he had a smile on his face. "But we can help you with that, if you help _us_ with learning about this world of yours."

Leo grinned. "I thought I already was."

"Don't get smart with us." Yzak retorted. "Yuy informed us of your rank as a sergeant, so that means you answer to me and Athrun."

Athrun gave Yzak a look. "Don't you mean Leonardo answers to _me_? Last I recall, I outrank you, Yzak."

Yzak grumbled. "No matter _what_ I do, you _always_ seem to outrank me..."

Leo chuckled at the banter between the two pilots. This would be interesting for him indeed...

* * *

**GrimmFall**

In the Hall of Justice, Akira, Major Glory, Jimmy, and Valhallen were all having a stare-down with each other. Jimmy was glaring at Major Glory and Valhallen while Akira was glaring at Jimmy, with a gun pointed at the kid. The undercover Coordinator was in SEED Mode, which gave him a boost to his already impressive abilities. "You... are going to regret that, kid..." Akira hissed.

"By the Liberty Bell, Jimmy! What has gotten into you?!" Major Glory exclaimed as he stood up. "Why would you attack Valhallen like that?!"

"You both don't understand!" Jimmy shouted back. "I've always wanted a hero to look up to, but when I finally found one, he wanted nothing to do with me! And because I couldn't have him as _my_ hero, then _no one_ could!"

"And _that_ gives you the right to take a life?!" Akira snapped as he kept his gun aimed at Jimmy. "You're nothing more than a parasite if that is what you think!"

"Alex!" Major Glory exclaimed, horrified at what the undercover pilot was saying.

"Think about it, Major." Akira said, not even turning his gaze to face the symbol of peace. "This kid hung around here for a reason. He could have left any time, right?"

Major Glory nodded. "Yes, he could have. He could have left with his friends, but he chose to remain behind."

"Then why didn't he?" Akira continued. "Why did Jimmy remain behind if he could have gone home with those who are his friends?"

Major Glory felt fear flood his face as the realization of what Jimmy had done finally sank in. "He wanted to be near the one he considered his hero..."

"Exactly." Akira confirmed. To be honest, the Coordinator was surprised he was getting things spot on with his guesses, considering he knew very little of the full situation going on around him. _'Then again, reading the situation is what Heero engrained in us during training, and if the fact that this kid attacked Valhallen like that, and is mad at the fact I found out he was the attacker, then this is most likely a case of stalking gone too far.'_

"But why, Jimmy?" Major Glory asked, his voice not even hiding the hurt in his tone. "Why would you want to end a life?"

"It's because he was _my_ hero! He belongs to _me_!" Jimmy shouted back. "He is _not_ anyone else's hero!"

Akira just tightened his grip on his gun's trigger and butt. He was looking down, his hair hiding his eyes as tears were running down his cheeks, but when he looked up, his eyes had in them a hardness that came from seeing combat on a scale that only Valhallen could comprehend. The Viking God of Rock felt his own hidden eyes widen beneath his long blonde bangs at seeing that look. It was the look of a person who had fought in a war that almost ended in extinction for their race. _'Who _is_ this guy...?'_ Valhallen wondered to himself.

"Lives are _not_ things that someone can own." Akira said slowly and calmly, albeit with an underlying hard edge to his voice. "You don't own a person's life, because it is _their_ life, **_not_** yours, kid." Jimmy looked back at the man with the gun, confusion mixed with anger showing on his face. "A person who tries to claim a person is a possession of theirs is nothing more than a stalker who doesn't want the object of their affections to have a life."

"And what would _you_ know of that?!" Jimmy shot back. "I've always envied the strong and powerful! So why _can't_ I have a hero of my very own?!"

Akira kept his SEED-dilated eyes trained on Jimmy, but the hard edge to them was fading. Aki' then closed his eyes before opening them again, revealing them as back to normal, as his SEED had gone dormant again. "If strength is what makes a person strong, then you don't understand the world around you."

Jimmy's anger faded as confusion flooded his features more. "What do you mean?"

Akira slowly relaxed his grip on his gun, but he didn't lower it or drop his guard. "Strength is not what makes a person alone. It is the will to survive that proves if someone can live or not."

Jimmy looked down, almost as if considering his words. "The will... to survive?"

"Yes." Akira said. "And if you think strength is what makes a person strong, I will not disagree, but nor will I agree."

Jimmy seemed to be settling down, which made Akira wonder if he had begun to make the boy actually think about what he had just done. However, that tingle of danger came back, just as the boy then turned and ran towards Akira, another knife drawn out. Reacting quickly, Akira fired off a single shot that hit Jimmy in the arm, making him cry out in pain as the bullet bit into his feeble arm.

Akira panted as he backed up, his gun now lowered so the muzzle was facing the ground. "Damn kid... I didn't think he would charge me like that..."

Major Glory hovered over to Akira. "Are you alright, Alex?"

"Yeah... I'm fine." Akira replied before looking back at Jimmy, who was now being helped by Valhallen. "I just didn't expect the kid to run at me with a poisoned knife. I wasn't intending to shoot, but when he charged at me, I reacted on reflex." Akira made sure his right eye was hidden by his hair, as that was the one with the missing contact lens that hid his real eye color.

Major Glory looked back at Jimmy with a disappointed look on his face. "You will be facing serious charges for your behavior, Jimmy." Major Glory said sternly. "Not just against an innocent person, but against Valhallen as well as a civilian in the employment of the Hall of Justice too."

Jimmy gave a look of hatred towards the symbol of peace and towards Akira. Major Glory didn't even flinch at the glare, and Akira just looked away, not even making eye contact with the kid.

As Valhallen helped Jimmy to his feet, his arm now bandaged, Major Glory looked to the God of Rock. "I take it you can take Jimmy to the cells?"

"Sure can, Glory-boy." Valhallen assured the hero.

Major Glory gave a nod, and as the duo left, looked to Akira. "Alex, I know what you went through as probably terrifying to you, so I am going to suggest you go back to your quarters here and get some rest. You can resume work tomorrow."

Akira blinked, but nodded. "Thanks. I think I will take you up on that." _'And I can try and get some more information while I'm at_ it.'

Major Glory nodded before Akira turned and left for his guest room.

* * *

After Jimmy was brought to the cells, Major Glory and Valhallen were in the hero's room talking about what they had witnessed with Jimmy.

"I still can't believe young Jimmy was responsible..." Major Glory said sadly.

"No one expected it, Glory-boy." Valhallen reassured the symbol of peace. However, the Rock God had something else on his mind that he wanted to talk to Major Glory about. "But that is not the main issue bothering me."

"What do you mean, Valhallen?" Major Glory asked as he looked to face the God of Rock.

"When Alex was facing down Jimmy, I saw something in his eyes, something that only a survivor of a race that nearly went extinct could have." Valhallen replied. "Asgard was once attacked and nearly wiped out by Loki, but he was stopped. This young man... saw the same thing we of Asgard nearly suffered. I don't know who Alex _really_ is, but whoever he is, he has seen conflict on such a scale it is incomprehensible to anyone else save for those who saw it themselves."

Major Glory frowned at that point. "So you think Alex may be some kind of spy?"

"I'm not sure _what_ Alex is, or if he's a spy or not." Valhallen admitted. "But whatever he is, we should be glad he was on our side during that showdown with the Jimster, and that he was the one who uncovered the kid as our attacker."

Major Glory thought back to how hard 'Alex' had worked to uncover Jimmy as the attacker of Agunimon. The way he had worked his way around the computer systems had been that of someone who had been working with computers all their life, but the method of uncovering Jimmy's image had been something Major Glory hadn't even considered possible. It seemed the young man claiming to be Alex Nealson was a bit _too_ good with computers to be a normal human being. But even if that was the case, the mysterious young man had still helped them out a great deal, so it wouldn't do to just let him go.

"So, what are we going to do with Alex?" Valhallen asked as he looked at Major Glory.

"We keep him on." Major Glory replied. "He is a civilian, and our information we gather from missions and such is kept on a different server, one that only we of the Justice Friends have access to. The civilian workers do not have access to that one, remember?"

Valhallen grinned. "Right. Even the best hackers can't get passed that firewall."

Major Glory gave a solemn nod. "Yes." He then looked to where Alex's room was via the security cameras in that hallway. _'But I can't help but wonder what kind of abilities Alex has. If he is a survivor of such a conflict like Valhallen thinks he is, then what is his world like? Is Alex even from our dimension? And what did he have to do to survive?'_

* * *

_'I hope it was nothing horrible...'_

Akira sat in his room, working on his laptop to try and get information on Jimmy since the kid seemed to be too clever for his own good, managing to hide two poisoned knives on his person and nearly attacking both him and Valhallen as well.

_'Okay, let's see what I can dig up on one Jimmy Christensen...'_ Akira thought as his eyes narrowed as he worked. His hands flew over the keyboard, his Coordinator reflexes making his fingers look like peach blurs. Data on Jimmy, which was in the normal server, came up thanks to the medical check Miss Spell (whoever that was) had done on the kid. _'Let's see... Genetic disease that makes him weak, causing his body to attack itself and the Aura reserves if the Aura is awakened. Known as __Auroriosis, this disease has no known cure.'_

Akira put a hand to his chin in thought. _'Hmm... That sounds like something that could be driving this kid's obsession with strong_ _heroes...'_

Just then, his com-set beeped. "1-05 here."

_"5-05 calling."_ Akira chuckled to himself. Only Flay had that callsign.

"What's new?" Akira asked as he closed down the laptop's connection with the public server for the Hall of Justice.

_"There has been word of the possible location of the machine that has been trying to breech our dimensional boundaries."_ Flay replied.

Aki's eyes went wide at that point. "You're kidding..."

_"No, I'm not."_ Flay replied.

Akira sat back in his chair. "Then... one of the primary objectives..."

_"It will be completed. That's assuming things go according to plan, but as you know, they never truly do."_ Flay sighed.

"I figured as much..." Akira groaned as he ran a hand down his face.

_"So, what have you been up to?"_ Flay asked as Akira removed his hand from his face.

"Just helping out the Justice Friends with a case of an attacker." The other pilot replied.

Flay, while it was not seen, had a frown on her face. _"They asked you to find an attacker?"_

"Yeah. The kid, and yes, it was a kid, had help from an accomplice. Somehow, the accomplice was able to hide the kid's image on a camera using an ingenious method of cloaking, by creating interference that was on the same spectrum as the RGB colors the camera was recording. This made the kid invisible to the camera, but by removing that interference, the kid's image was able to be found." Akira explained.

_"That sounds... awfully complicated."_ Flay noted right away.

"Believe me, it was." Akira said as he leaned forwards at the table he was sitting at. "If I wasn't a Coordinator, or had the computer skills I do, it would have been overlooked and the attacker would have gotten away with a potential murder."

_"Murder? From a _kid_?!"_ Flay sounded appalled, and that was not surprising given what she and Akira, along with the rest of Zero Squadron, had been through. _"Is this_ _kid..."_

"No." Akira said with a sigh. "He is actually afflicted with a genetic illness that makes him weak, and he can't awaken his Aura or Semblance. I only know this because I looked up his records."

Flay frowned again from out of sight. _"Then... Why the attempted murder?"_

"It's most likely a case of stalking gone awry." Akira sighed. "Look, I have to go. One of the Justice Friends could come down here at any moment, and I don't want to get caught talking to you lest we get discovered before we are ready. 1-05 out."

Flay nodded before the line went dead. Akira leaned back into his chair again and looked up at the ceiling, a frown on his face. _'What is going on here? A kid with a stalking obsession who is driven to murder with an accomplice that is almost inhuman in computer skills? What else could go wrong?'_ However, Akira knew as soon as he thought that, something _would_ go wrong. It was just a matter of when...

* * *

_Old Military base_

Wing Saber was roused from his recharge by Arcee shaking him. "Hey, wake up!"

"Ugh..." Wing Saber's optics came online as he sat up. "What's the big idea waking me like that...?"

"We need to move." Arcee said seriously. "There are giant beasts that are black outside."

Wing Saber's optics widened as he recalled what he had been briefed on from Saber Convoy and the Secretary General of the United Earth Nations for Earth. "Ah, slag it all! Not now!" He was on his feet in a flash.

"Do you know what those things are?" Arcee asked as he raced to the entrance of the hanger they were taking shelter in.

Sure enough, there were two large elephant-like Grimm outside. "Yeah... I do." Wing Saber said with a growl in his voice. "Before I came here with my team, I was briefed on what these creatures were. They are called Grimm, and let's just say the large elephant-like ones here are called Goliath Grimm for a good reason."

"Can we fight them and win?" Arcee asked.

"Against one of these things, that's a big, and I mean _big_, if." Wing Saber replied slowly. "It took six elite pilots from my universe to take down just one. For me, it would be a miracle if I could, even though I am what is known as a front-line flier, or a flying Autobot who fights on the front lines." He then frowned as he watched the two Goliath Grimm just beyond the door. "Even though I have a large arsenal of ranged weapons, that won't do much if I don't have at least two others backing me up."

Arcee felt fear flooding her systems and spark at hearing that. "Then... what can we do?!"

"We run." Wing Saber admitted, albeit with some bitterness in his voice. "I don't like it, but that's the only thing we _can_ do when faced with these things."

Arcee nodded. "Okay... but how can we get away from them? We can't exactly go out the way we came in."

Wing Saber looked up at the ceiling before he grinned. "Who said we had to?"

* * *

Outside, the two Goliath Grimm turned as a loud explosion came from one of the hangers, which erupted into flames as though it was hit by a bomb. The two Grimm meandered towards the hanger, not even seeing the two forms that flew out of the smoke into the starry sky above.

Arcee looked down at the Grimm that were slowly getting smaller and smaller the further away she and Wing Saber flew. She was holding onto his vehicle mode, trying to not let herself be seen. "So... what do we do now?" She asked as she looked down at Wing Saber.

"Well, where was the last known location of the _Ark_?" Wing Saber asked. "Wasn't that what you were tracking?"

"Err... Yes, we were..." Arcee admitted. "But... I don't remember the coordinates. I think my memory banks were damaged slightly in the crash..."

"Oh, that's just great!" Wing Saber snarked back. "You didn't think to tell me that from the beginning?!"

"H-hey! You didn't ask if I knew the coordinates that time!" Arcee shot back, her facial plating looking a bit pinker than normal due to the suspicious heating of embarrassment she was feeling there.

"Oh, so it's _my_ fault?!" Wing Saber countered. "Way to thank the mech who saved your sorry aft from that crash site!"

"I didn't _ask_ to be saved!" Arcee retorted.

"You didn't need to!" Wing Saber shot back.

Arce found herself unable to believe this mech was an Autobot. "So I'm just a damsel then?!"

"Looking pretty, don't fire a gun when in combat, preferring to remain behind the safety of the Prime's team, yep, that makes you a damsel." Wing Saber retorted as though rattling off a list of things to be bought at a store, although there was a faint hint of amusement to his voice as well.

"You are such a machoist!" Arcee exclaimed.

Wing Saber frowned, although it was unseen due to being in vehicle mode. "Hey, don't go calling me a machoist! I need to have some fun when I can, and trust me, that is _very_ rare for me to get."

"You call teasing me fun?!" Arcee snapped back as she smacked him with a fist a few times, earning a few "Ow!" remarks for her efforts.

"Hey, lay off!" Wing Saber exclaimed. "You think I _like_ teasing you?! It's a release for me! You try being in a new dimension when some of your teammates are missing and knowing your home dimension is under threat of attack from this place and see how _you_ like it!"

Arcee huffed, but relented on the smacking she had given Wing Saber.

_'Geez... This femme needs to lighten up...'_ Wing Saber thought to himself as he flew down lower to the ground, coming to a hover so Arcee could hop off. Once she did so, Wing Saber transformed into his robot mode and landed. He looked around, seeing they were at an old mining town now.

"I think this is a good place to get some more recharge." Wing Saber noted, making Arcee look back at him with a frown.

"But that is _all_ we have been doing!" She protested. "I thought we would be looking for the _Ark_! Not hiding amongst old ruins!"

"Hey, we need to throw the Grimm off our trail for a while before we can do that." Wing Saber explained. "Once the Grimm are no longer looking for us actively, _then_ we can search for the _Ark_ and your Prime. Besides, I _have_ been working us closer to a possible location for it, but as I said, we have to throw the Grimm off first."

Arcee frowned, but relented. He did have a good point...

* * *

**GrimmFall**

In his cell, Jimmy was frowning and pacing back and forth. It seemed that 'Alex' person was responsible for outing him as the attacker. _'He has to go next...'_ Jimmy thought as he pondered a possible way to do that.

However, as he was now in a cell, there was no way he could just off this 'Alex'. _'Not to mention he seems to have some combat training...'_ Jimmy realized with dismay. _'Oh, how I hate this disease of mine!'_

He looked up at a camera in the cell, which flashed before it went dark. Jimmy felt a sneer crossing his face. It seemed his new little friend was going to help him escape.

* * *

Major Glory walked into the medical bay, only to see Kazemon was still at Agunimon's side. "How is he?" The hero asked as the Warrior of Wind looked back at the symbol of peace.

"Nothing's changed..." Kazemon admitted, her voice thick with worry.

"He will be fine." Major Glory said in a reassuring manner as he placed a strong hand on her slim shoulder. "Dr. Princess has almost finished the antidote, and his attacker is now in prison here in the cells we have for criminals we catch."

Kazemon gave a small smile of gratitude back, just as Dr. Princess came out with a vial of some kind in her hand. Both turned to face her.

"Well, I have the antidote. It wasn't easy, but I managed to make it without any issues." Dr. Princess said as she held it up. "This will clear that poison from his body by breaking it down into a harmless form."

"I knew you would come through for us, Dr. Princess." Major Glory said with a proud smile.

Kazemon felt her heart rate soaring at hearing this news. She wanted to run over and hug the woman, but that would possibly break the vial if she dropped it, so the Digimon refrained from doing such.

Dr. Princess walked over with the vial and slipped a syringe into it before drawing some of the antidote into it and pulling it out. Setting the vial down, Dr. Princess then made her way over to Agunimon's still form and held up the syringe. She slipped the needle into the IV that was attached to Agunimon and injected it.

There was s tense wait. Dr. Princess watched, as did Kazemon and Major Glory. It seemed like nothing was going to happen at first, but then there was a slight movement as his right hand gripped Kazemon's hand, but with a bit more force than before. Kazemon felt that and looked down at Agunimon's form. While he was still sedated, she could see he was beginning to look a bit better, as he was not so deathly pale now.

Major Glory saw this improvement as well and smiled at Dr. Princess, who had a slightly relieved look on her own face. "It seems we were in time with giving him the antidote..."

"Yes, we were." Major Glory conceded.

Agunimon was going to be alright...

* * *

** Two members of Zero Squad go to the Nowhere Mountains to find the _Steelhaven_ as well as the dimensional breech machine that has been causing them trouble while Leonardo joins the unit. Akira is nearly attacked by Jimmy and saves Valhallen from the same fate that Agunimon suffered while the antidote is given to the Warrior of Flame, thus saving his life. Wing Saber and Arcee still hunt down the _Ark_ asJimmy plots his escape. What will happen next? Read on to find out~! :3**


	5. Darkness of Deceit V

**Here is another chapter~! :3**

**D.N Works: Glad you liked it. :3**

**GCD: No, the warriors do not return to human form, lest they be overpowered and taken to be turned into Grimm. Since they actually merged with their Spirits, they are now Digimon themselves. Returning to human form in the event of life-threatening injuries is a self-defense thing, but as they are unconscious in human form, they are vulnerable then, so that is why they remain in Digimon form. And yes, the unit will be careful when trying to find the machine. XD**

**merendinoemiliano: You will like this one for sure. :3**

**nightmaster000: Glad you liked that. :) Jimmy will not have any other interaction with other prisoners sadly. And yeah, even a veteran of **two wars that could have meant extinction for the human race **would be set on edge by the way Jimmy glared at him, which is saying something since the former incidents are worse than stalking and killing the object of affections. ^^' Sebben's knowledge of the bug may or may not be revealed yet... ;3 And trust me, even Zero Squad will have difficulty against Van Kleiss. XD**

**Lord Maximus: I have no doubt it will be difficult for Zero Squad, because as I have mentioned, this is not their universe so they have no idea of what to expect. XD**

**Titanic X: Yes, yes he is. XD**

**Note: If any readers have an account, then please review using your account please. If you are too lazy to log in, then at least leave your account name so I can know who you are. If any reader does not have an account, then at least use a **consistent** name when reviewing so I can respond in a more personal manner, as the name 'Guest' does not seem too personable to me.**

* * *

Wing Saber looked around, wondering what they could do now. It was hard to determine the next course of action, mostly because he had _no_ idea as to where the _Ark_ of this Prime was located. He had only told Arcee they were making their way there to assure her he was on her side. _'Well, I am, but I don't want to upset_ her...' Wing Saber thought sadly as he looked back at Arcee, who was once more in recharge.

He sighed and looked back out at the starry sky above.

However, Arcee was not in recharge. Rather, she was thinking about how different she and Wing Saber were. He was an Autobot who could fly, and who moved like a human when he was in recharge. She was a ground-based Autobot and she didn't move at all when in recharge. Wing Saber was able to fight well beyond what she could handle. Arcee herself knew she was not a good fighter, relying more on remaining out of sight and scouting the enemy from afar. He was heavily armored and well-armed while she was not well armed and lacked heavy armor.

But the biggest difference was their personalities. While she was analytical and professional most of the time, when around her Prime, she became a fangirl. With Wing Saber, he was cocky and arrogant with a tendency to break the rules, but when in contact with _his_ superior, he became professional.

This fascinated, as well as appalled, Arcee. How was it that they could be so different, and yet so drawn to each other? She didn't like Wing Saber's blatant disregard for the rules, and yet that very disregard seemed to work out in her favor. When he tried to get her to break the rules, she adhered to them, thus forcing Wing Saber to follow suit, namely when around his superior.

Arcee frowned to herself. _'Why is it that Wing Saber is so different, and yet helps me out in so many ways?'_

She didn't know... Sighing softly to herself, Acree finally let recharge claim her, but not before the image of Wing Saber flitted through her processor as she did so.

* * *

**GrimmFall**

In the Hall of Heroes' medical facility, Kazemon was sitting by Agunimon's side. Thankfully, the sedation had been removed and so had the life support equipment, thus allowing him to breathe on his own once more. As it was, Agunimon was now just unconscious, which was a relief to Kazemon. Seeing the Warrior of Flame hooked up to so many machines, looking so deathly pale, had scared her far more than she wanted to admit. Now though, his skin was now a healthy tan color again, and his breathing was steady and normal. Her hand was holding his once more, something that seemed to be becoming more common for her to do.

Kazemon was so caught up in her thoughts she almost missed the slight sound. She perked up, thinking she was hearing things, at least until she heard it again. A slight moan was heard, making her turn to look at Agunimon, who then moved his head slightly. Kazemon gave a slight gasp as she saw his eyes fluttering a bit before they slowly opened, revealing his sharp blue eyes once more. Agunimon then turned his head to face her, confusion on his face at why he was back in the medical wing. "Kazemon…?"

The Warrior of Wind felt herself getting a bit emotional at what she was seeing, but she managed to keep herself from breaking down and just hugging him in relief. "Hey."

Agunimon made to sit up, but pain lanced through his side, making him wince and a groan/hiss of pain escaped his throat, just as Kazemon place a hand on his other shoulder to keep him from moving and reopening the stab wound. The gesture kept Agunimon from moving, but Kazemon wasn't sure if he had re-injured himself with that action.

The Warrior of Flame was panting slightly due to the pain in his side. Kazemon could see it on his face, and in his body language, clearly. Her hand wound up squeezing his gently in a reassuring manner, a gesture he unknowingly returned. It was clear his wound was giving him trouble. "Please... just don't move. You could hurt yourself again!" Kazemon pleaded softly.

Agunimon turned his head to face her slightly, a pain smirk on his lips. "Don't worry... I have no intention of doing so..." While his voice was filled with pain, the fact he was even making a joke was a good sign. Kazemon gave a wry smile.

"You always seem to find a way to make me worry." She teased. "If it's not one thing, it's another."

* * *

**Over Nowhere Mountains**

A lone F-22 Raptor flew down low over the mountains near the town of Nowhere, Kansas. While that in of itself was not normal, what _really_ stood out was that this particular brand of jet wasn't even in existence here. But Nowhere's residents just ignored it, deeming it to be a normal appearance of a UFO of some kind.

However, the odd fighter craft didn't land in Nowhere. No, it wound up landing near the edge of the woods, on the edge of the mountain range. Once the jet had landed, its cargo, a black and grey machine with red, blue, and gold accents and red optics, got off, only for the jet to turn into a bipedal form, a machine that had red optics as well.

_"So, where do we begin the search?"_ Derek asked over the secure com-line.

_"No clue."_ Nicol admitted as he turned the Neo Blitz's head, looking around with the twin optical camera sensors. _"But we have the general location to start. So, we'll make our way down towards where the signals are getting stronger. If we can find where the signals get stronger, we will find the location of the _Steelhaven_, and most likely our dimensional intruder's breech machine."_

Derek nodded. _"Okay, sounds simple enough."_

But while it _sounded_ simple, it was in reality going to be harder than that, and both pilots knew it.

Nicol began to move his machine towards where he was picking up the partial signals of the _Steelhaven's_ transmitter, watching the fluctuations to see if they got stronger or weaker. He then stopped. _"The signal's getting weaker it seems."_

_"But then that means it could be _away_ from the mountains!"_ Derek realized as Nicol frowned.

Already they had just encountered the first roadblock to finding the base it seemed. _"Or someone could be making it seem that way. But how?"_ Nicol wondered.

Derek looked at the fluctuations himself and did a scan with his machine's radar to see if there was anything that seemed out of place. While nothing showed up visibly, there _was_ something artificial showing up on the radar readouts. _"I think I have an idea on what is making the signals seem weaker the closer we get."_

The Bravo Raptor made its way over to what looked like a normal tree, but when Derek zoomed in on it with his machine's optical cameras, he could see the leaves were actually small antennae that were putting out a weak signal that cut into the actual transmitter signals being sent from the captured _Steelhaven_. _"Wow... Someone managed to make an antenna look like a normal tree, even to the point of using the small signal emitters as leaves. It is putting out a signal that is cutting into the transmissions of the _Steelhaven's_ transmitter signals. That's why the signals are getting weaker the closer we get."_ Derek mused with a bit of impressed thoughtfulness in his tone of voice.

_"Wait, so someone is jamming the signals the closer we get? That's ingenious!"_ Nicol realized. Then he had a thought. _"And we could use that to find the base!"_

_"Not so fast, Black Phantom."_ Derek cut in. _"It may be a possibility to use these to find the base based on that thinking, but the kidnapper, and possible breech creator, may have thought of that."_ His words were icy cold as he said that and continued. _"We have to treat it as though that is the case."_

_"Then, how can we...! Wait... Derek, do you think you can...?"_ The way Nicol trailed off told Derek all he needed to know.

_"I wouldn't have mentioned that possibility if I couldn't."_ Derek chuckled. He then closed his eyes and let his Newtype senses expand out around the area. Nicol knew what to expect, and kept his mind as calm and clear as possible so as to not overwhelm Derek's Newtype abilities.

For what felt like hours, Derek searched out anything that was remotely human, or even human-like, and then he got it. There was a 'ping' of some kind on the edge of his Newtype senses. Derek opened his eyes and began to move his machine in that direction. Nicol realized what was going on and followed suit.

_"Did you get a life sign?"_ Nicol asked as Derek appeared on his monitor above his head.

_"Yes. It was most likely Ultra Magnus, judging by how calm it was."_ Derek replied. _"But it was faint, like someone was jamming it through some kind of electrical signals."_

Nicol frowned at hearing that. _"So the kidnapper is most likely expecting some kind of electrical signals to penetrate. But they weren't counting on a psychic presence to do that instead it seems."_

_"Yeah, it seems that way. But I'm not about to just assume that. Remember, we treat it as the worst case scenario while we hope it is not that."_ Derek pointed out.

Nicol nodded, remembering that mantra all too well. It was how they operated, and it had saved their butts more than once. _"Right..."_

* * *

**Ruins**

Cree was surprised to see the faceless aliens back out and about, excavating the ruins some more. Sammael's newest Seer Grimm was circling around, recording the images for its master. However, she was not aware of someone in the trees, hiding and peering through a sniper scope at her.

_***"****Heero, we have an intruder."***_ Liz reported over their com-line, relying on the translator to hide her voice and words.

_***"****Who is it?"***_ Heero asked her.

Liz peered through the scope of her sniper rifle again. _***"It appears to be a fox Faunus, and she has a Seer Grimm with her****."***_

* * *

Hearing that, Heero looked at Leonardo. He switched off his translator and opened his helmet briefly. Since they were out of sight for now, he had the chance to ask the turtle Mobian his question. "Who would that be?"

Leo looked back at Heero. "That would be a spy for Sammael. Her name is Cree Lincoln, and she is related to the current Candy Elemental, or so I have heard."

Heero looked down, wondering why someone related to one of these 'Elementals' would work for someone like Sammael. It seemed likely she was jealous of her sibling, but a glance at Mu, who was glancing in Cree's direction, threw that notion out the window. On the Newtype's face was a look of worry and concern.

"Commander la Flaga? Is something wrong?" Heero asked as the ORB commander looked back at him.

"No, nothing's wrong." Mu replied. "Well, not with _me_ at any rate..."

Heero frowned at hearing that. "What are you sensing?"

"Worry, guilt, and... hopelessness." Mu replied slowly. "It's like she is... I don't know... It's like this Cree girl may have been forced into working for Sammael or something. I don't know all the details, and I sure as hell do not know her reasoning for allying with such a freak, but whatever it was, it left her feeling guilty, worried, and like things are hopeless for her."

That made Leo and Heero blink before glancing at one another in confusion.

* * *

**GrimmFall**

In the Hall of Heroes, Lowemon had just gotten the good news that Agunimon was awake and had headed down to the medical wing to see his fellow Digimon and Legendary Warrior. "Are you feeling okay?" The Warrior of Darkness asked as Agunimon sighed a bit.

"I'm fine, really!" Agunimon exclaimed, getting a bit exasperated now. It was bad enough Kazemon was fussing over him slightly, but he didn't need Lowemon to join in on it.

"How can you just say that?!" Kazemon exclaimed. "You nearly _died_ on us!" As if to prove her point, she lightly poked his side where he had been stabbed, earning a slight yelp of pain from the male Digimon.

"Kazemon, please, just calm down! I'm not dying!" Agunimon protested, but in response, the Warrior of Wind gently, if not a bit roughly, pushed him back down onto the bed, making the Warrior of Flame grunt as soon as his back hit the pillows.

Lowemon couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of the Warrior of Wind being fussy over their leader's well-being. The response of a glare from Agunimon made him chuckle even more.

An exasperated sigh escaped Agunimon, realizing he wasn't going to win this argument any time soon.

Just then, the door slid open, revealing Major Glory in the doorway. The symbol of peace smiled at seeing the Digimon was indeed awake.

"Ah, he's awake." Major Glory said from the door, happy to their patient awake. "How do you feel?" He made his way over to the three Digimon.

"I'll live." Agunimon shifted uncomfortably. "Can't believe I let myself drop my guard enough to get stabbed like that. I must have been pretty out of it."

"Actually, I think we all share the blame in that, myself a little more." Major Glory said sadly, causing the three Legendary Warriors to look at him in confusion. "While you were out, we found the attacker that stabbed you."

"Who was it?" Lowemon asked.

"...It was Jimmy." Major Glory answered, taking a deep breath.

"Jimmy?" Agunimon and Kazemon spoke at the same time while Agunimon sat up a little more. "That kid? He did this?"

Major Glory nodded. "He did. We were all surprised but he somehow managed to get his hands on two knives and a special form of poison from a rare spider Grimm."

"He did this?" Lowemon asked. "How could he have snuck up to stab Agunimon? He'd have seen him coming."

"That's where things got more complicated. Jimmy has a collaborator." Major Glory answered with a frown. "They masked him from our security which was how he got his hands on the knives and the poison. As for how he masked his approach to Agunimon I think it was the same one."

"Someone helped him?" Kazemon asked angrily. "Where is he?"

"Locked up and this time his parents are coming. Apparently his mother is about as fragile as he is without the genetic disease so his father was reluctant to come up here to pick him up and leave his wife alone so that's why he hired the other Peach Creek kids to come pick his son up. Jimmy's facing serious charges for this...And I owe you both an apology." Major Glory bowed his head to Kazemon and Agunimon. "I thought Jimmy's earlier hero worship was just a phase he would grow out of so I allowed it as long as it never hurt anyone. I never could have predicted his obsession would go as far as to actually hurt someone he idolized. This happened on my watch because of my own negligence and for that I am deeply sorry."

To see Major Glory willing to admit he held the majority of the blame was a bit humbling for all three Legendary Warriors. Agunimon, while he realized it was not the major's fault, felt a bit angered that action had not been taken sooner. However, because Major Glory showed deep regret, he couldn't help but feel bad for the man. Sighing, the Warrior of Flame just leaned back onto the pillows again. "You're right, no one saw that coming, least of all you." Agunimon admitted. "But it was Jimmy's fault for going that route. You're not to blame for his actions."

Major Glory gave a sad smile. "That's very kind of you to say, but..."

"No." Lowemon said seriously. "He's right. You were not to blame, and that needs to be said right now. Jimmy's actions were his own, and if what happened is any indication, this Jimmy kid clearly has some _serious_ cunning if he was able to fool even someone like you."

Major Glory blinked. "That... does make sense." The major admitted.

"Jimmy clearly planned this out very carefully." Lowemon continued. "He was able to act normal enough so that you would be fooled, and that enabled him to nearly get away with murder. So in the end, it was not your fault this happened. Jimmy is responsible for his own actions, you are not."

Major Glory then spoke up. "But it happened on _my_ watch, so that means I share some of the blame."

Lowemon sighed as he smacked his face with his hand in exasperation, making Major Glory tilt his head to the side in confusion while Agunimon and Kazemon both snickered at the reaction of the major to Lowemon's reaction.

"I _really_ hope you stop blaming yourself for the actions of others one day..." Lowemon grumbled. For some reason, both the Warriors of Wind and Flame found this remark hysterical, as both were literally laughing their heads off as soon as he said it. Major Glory just blinked in confusion, which sent both laughing Digimon into even more laughter.

* * *

**Unknown location**

Sammael smiled at what he was seeing. It seemed like Cree was doing her job well, and he was getting all sorts of footage on these 'Faceless Ones'. He was gaining insights into their technology, which seemed to be on the verge of not using Dust or even fossil fuels.

"It seems we may have some new technologies to study..." The Majesty-class Fallen mused to himself. "This could be fruitful, letting those aliens live."

However, he did _not_ know these 'aliens' were already on the hunt for something of great power, and that they were already closing in on one of his greatest assets as well...

* * *

**Nowhere Mountains**

The Neo Blitz and the Bravo Raptor were getting closer to the location, Commander Lockheed leading the way. Looking around with his machine's cameras, the US Navy commander could see the fake trees were getting more and more numerous, but that only meant his Newtype senses were going to be more and more helpful in locating the _Steelhaven_, as well as the possible location of the breech machine, if the two were in the same location.

As the Bravo Raptor looked around for anything that seemed unusual, the Neo Blitz did a scan with its radar. However, there was nothing that came up, which made Nicol frown to himself. It seemed like the base was well-shielded from the ground, and an aerial search, which they had done prior to landing, had yielded nothing either.

_'Then we have to rely on Derek's Newtype senses for this, and while he _is_ a powerful Newtype, his skills for finding others still have a bit to be worked on. This makes me wonder if sending him out here was a good idea since we have Brett and Kira, who are much more powerful than Commander Lockheed as a Newtype.'_ Nicol thought to himself.

He glanced around before he saw the Bravo Raptor stopping in its tracks. _"Commander?"_ Nicol asked over the com-line. _"Why are we stopping here?"_

_"I'm sensing Ultra Magnus's thoughts close by."_ Derek replied as he had his machine make its way over to the cliff face nearby. _"There has to be a hidden entrance somewhere."_

_"Yeah, but where? We looked by air _and_ ground, with nothing to show for it."_ Nicol pointed out.

_"Then that just means there has to be some kind of hidden entrance."_ Derek replied as he began to look around, using his machine's camera optical sensors.

Nicol frowned, his thoughts bordering on the idea of that being too simple to find. However, his unit _was_ trained to expected the unexpected, so, he figured it wasn't a bad idea to at least _try_ to find that suspected hidden entrance.

The Nexus Federation pilot made his way over to join the Bravo Raptor in the search, both Gundams moving their mechanical hands along the rockface, looking for the hidden entrance that Commander Lockheed was certain existed.

* * *

**GrimmFall**

As Flay sat in her secretary desk, she typed away, like the dutiful officer worker she was. However, she also had in an earpiece that was linked to the bug in Mayor Sebben's office, which meant she was listening in on a conversation again.

_"Are you sure we should go through with this?"_ Flay heard Callie Briggs' voice speaking to the mayor.

_"Yes. We need to make sure those 'Faceless Ones' do not pose any threat by nipping this in the bud now."_ Mayor Sebben replied, making Flay pale at hearing his words.

_'Crap! The mayor is planning to try and root us out?!'_ Flay thought, her training taking over as her mind prepared for the worst, running through some evacuation plans for her and Akira should that indeed be the case.

_"But how?"_ Callie's voice asked.

_"That is where the issue lies. We do _not_ know what these beings are capable of, so whatever we try to get them out of the picture may be countered."_ Mayor Sebben revealed at last. _"Therefore, we can only leave them alone for now to try and get an idea of their abilities and powers."_

_"Well, we _do_ know that they can stick to walls."_ Calli's voice pointed out.

Flay gave a mental snort. That was only because of their flight suits' gecko boots, not because it was a superpower.

_"Yes, but that is just _one_ power they may have. We have to leave them alone for now."_ Mayor Sebben's voice sighed. _"Only when we know what their powers are will we be able to take action against them."_

Flay felt a smirk crossing her lips at that. _'If they want to know what 'powers' we have, then these guys will have to wait a _long_ time before they figure that out.'_

She went back to typing up the documents Mayor Sebben wanted.

Or at least, she tried to when she suddenly perked up as her Newtype senses kicked in. The SEED-type felt an odd mix of feelings of dread and anguish as well as glee over her Newtype senses, which set her on edge. Standing up quickly, Flay pulled out her hidden sidearm and looked around, trying to narrow in on the source of what set off her Newtype senses. Flay crept away from her desk, her training kicking in now.

Her pale blue eyes darted around, looking for anything unusual, but she saw nothing in the area, not to mention the feelings she had been sensing earlier were gone now as well. _'That's odd...'_ Flay thought as she frowned a bit. _'What set off my Newtype senses?'_ Then, she felt a sharp spasm of pain shoot across her forehead as her SEED reacted to danger. The sudden spasm of pain from her SEED made Flay glance up, only to see a Grimm above her. Her eyes went wide as she saw the Grimm, which was some kind of wolf-like Grimm. _'Slag it...'_

Flay aimed her sidearm as her SEED exploded in her mind's eye with a vertical red ring around it as she tapped into that familiar feeling of fury, her eyes becoming glazed over as her pupils shrank to mere pinpricks while her irises remained glazed over. The Grimm leapt down and charged at the undercover pilot, but Flay took action, firing her sidearm at the Grimm as it rushed at her. Due to her SEED allowing her to see the patterns of where it was moving, Flay was able to hit the Grimm in its joints, including in the right eye. Seven shots later, Flay was swapping out her cartridge for a new one before opening fire again on the Grimm. She could see smoke rising from its form, only for the Grimm to collapse and cease to move. Panting slightly, Flay closed her eyes as her SEED went dormant again, only to open them a moment later, revealing her eyes as back to normal.

The bullet shells fell to the floor as the Grimm's body finally faded, Flay putting her sidearm away before she knelt and picked up the spent bullet casings. Once that was done, Flay turned and walked back to her desk, tossing the casings into the trash at her desk and resuming her work. But as she typed away, Flay couldn't help but wonder if that Grimm had been sent as an assassin towards Mayor Sebben.

* * *

In his office, Mayor Sebben had heard the gunshots, but he didn't emerge from the safety of his office. No, he had a feeling someone else was handling the intruder just fine. Callie on the other hand, was shaking like a leaf, even though she knew Mayor Sebben could handle himself and protect her as well.

"W-What was that?!" Callie whimpered.

"It is nothing to be too concerned over." Mayor Sebben assured his deputy mayor. "It was most likely a simple Beo-Wolf Grimm that got inside somehow."

"B-but... _how_?!" Callie demanded. _"HOW_ could a Beowolf Grimm get inside?!"

"Most likely it was a portal from Sammael." Mayor Sebben noted. "That is the only way a Grimm could get in here."

Callie paled at hearing that, but Mayor Sebben seemed awfully calm for such a revelation. However, Callie, upon realizing that, came to the conclusion the mayor must have seen that attack through the Gem of Sight. It would also explain why he wasn't even worried, because he had foreseen the outcome, or one of them at any rate.

* * *

**Unknown Location**

Sammael gave a slight frown when he lost contact with the Beowolf he had sent to spy on Mayor Sebben. Not only that, he had sensed something... unusual, when that portal had opened. It was like... an awareness he had never felt before. It was so _pure_, almost innocent, and yet **_very_** _dangerous_ at the same time, like it was too powerful for him to try to control.

_"Hmmm... That is odd...'_ The Fallen thought to himself. _'And yet... it is just like the Dragon's pseudo-Aura almost. Just... different...'_

Then, a sneer crossed his lips at the revelation. _'So, there are others just like the Dragon... This will be interesting...'_

* * *

**GrimmFall**

Akira frowned at the report that Flay had sent him. She had also mentioned in her email to him that she had sent the same report to the rest of the unit, which was good. _'If Flay sensed something like that, then Heero may get the unit on high alert. We need to be as cautious as possible now.'_

Leaning back in his seat in the security room, Akira flicked through the camera images and video feeds, one of which was watching Jimmy in his cell. So far, the kid hadn't left, and Akira had a program running that could see if the camera feed was being interfered with. There was no sign of that previous interference so far, but Akira wasn't about to drop his guard.

_'That kid is too cunning for his own good.'_ Akira noted before he switched to another camera, which was showing the sparring arena where the sparring matches would be taking place, according to Valhallen at any rate. Akira sighed to himself. He was in charge of making sure security was tight for the systems of the arena, but everything seemed up to snuff so far. _'Maybe I'm being too paranoid...'_ Akira thought to himself as he blew some hair out of his face before lacing his hands behind his head. "Although... having a certain level of paranoia _has_ helped us in the past..." He mused aloud to himself.

Just then, his program beeped. Akira's eyes flicked to the screen of his laptop, which showed something unusual before it faded. Akira frowned to himself before he got to work on checking the source of the signal, which was revealed to have come from outside the Hall of Heroes. And it was the same one that had messed with the video footage last time.

Now on high alert, Akira began to run through the systems of the sparring arena, hoping to Primus above that things would be untouched for the systems there...

* * *

**Ruins**

Heero frowned as he read the report from Flay. _'So, her Newtype senses picked up on feelings of dread, anguish, and glee just before a Beowolf Grimm appeared in the mayor's office...'_

Looking back out from his quarters on the _Constitution_, the ORB Union Admiral wondered if it would be possible to disable a Seer Grimm and possibly use it to hack back to Sammael. Heero gave a snort. There was _no_ way he was risking his unit like that, even if the idea _was_ tempting in a way.

_'No, we can't take the risk of Sammael back tracing Zero.'_ Heero reasoned. He gave a nod to himself in assurance that his idea was the correct one to take. _'Yes, it is the best bet. We do not track Sammael through hacking into a Seer Grimm.'_

However, he _did_ keep it on as an option, just in case they were forced to under circumstances outside of their control.

Getting up from his desk, Admiral Yuy made his way out of his room and down to the main bridge. While still clad in his flight suit and 'Snoopy Cap', he didn't wear his helmet due to being inside the cloaked ship.

Heero entered the bridge, just as Captain Ramius looked back at him. "Oh, Heero!" Captain Ramius exclaimed. "What brings you down here?"

"Just taking a look around the ship." Heero replied. "But that's not the only reason I'm here."

Captain Ramius frowned. She knew Heero very well, well enough to know he was here to see if she was aware of the Seer Grimm. "That Seer Grimm?"

"Yes." Heero confirmed. He then looked back at her. "Has it made any moves towards the ruins or even this ship?"

"No. It's just been sitting out beyond our radar range, circling into range when it sees you guys out there in your flight suits and observing you." Captain Ramius replied. "I doubt it even knows the ship is here."

"Still, we can't be too careful." Admiral Yuy replied as he looked back out the windows of the bridge. "Be on high alert in case it starts to come close to the ship's location."

"Will do." Captain Ramius said as Heero turned to leave, only to stop when Petty Officer 1st class Sai Argyle let out a yelp of surprise.

Everyone on the bridge, Heero included, looked back at Petty Officer Argyle. "We have that Seer Grimm getting close to us!"

Heero swore in Cybertronian, albeit the human language form, as he ran to Sai's station. He looked over the data, which showed the Grimm was indeed heading towards the _Constitution_. "Fucking slagging shit..."

"What do we do?" Technical Sergeant Mirillia Haww whimpered.

Heero pondered on their course of action. _'We can either fire our less powerful ranged weapons, we can rely on missiles, or I could deploy in Wing Zero. Or we take flight and leave, but that last one is out, so we have only the first three options.'_ In his mind, the commander of the unit ran through several plans, knowing his machine would be able to find the one with the best chance of success. When one came to his mind, Heero felt his blood chill. _'Oh, fucking slag...'_ The plan was the one he had sworn to avoid: capture the Seer Grimm and disable its eyes.

* * *

**GrimmFall**

Major Glory was quite happy to see Agunimon was up and about now, although he still wasn't allowed to train with anyone for a while due to his side wound still needing to heal. As it was, the wound had been deep enough to require stitches, not to mention bandages wrapped around it so in case the stitches broke, he wouldn't bleed to death.

It was also a bit amusing to see Agunimon trying to reassure Kazemon he was fine, with the Warrior of Wind fussing over him and his still-healing injury. "Just let her have this one." The hero told the Warrior of Flame after his fourth protest to Kazemon. "She did nearly lose you after all."

"I guess..." Agunimon sighed. "But I'm going to be fine! Miss Spell said so!"

"Yes, but as I said, Kazemon and Lowemon nearly lost you, so it would be best to let them have their worry for a while." Major Glory said in a reassuring tone. Although he wouldn't admit it, it _was_ kind of endearing to see how closely the Legendary Warriors were bonded, and it showed in the way the other two fussed over their leader's well-being.

Agunimon sighed again, only in exasperation this time.

Lowemon meanwhile, looked to Kazemon. "He's going to be fine, you know." The Warrior of Darkness pointed out.

"I know that!" Kazemon snapped before she suddenly went silent. "It's just..." She fidgeted a bit, a slight blush upon her cheeks. Lowemon caught sight of that and gave warm chuckle.

"I see what you're trying to hide..." The dark-armored Legendary Warrior teased, making Kazemon gave a bit of a squeak as she tried to hide her face from Lowemon. The Warrior of Darkness gave a deep rumbling laugh at her reaction.

"L-Lowemon!" Kazemon squeaked as she began to smack at his chest with her fists. "That's not funny!"

Lowemon just gave her a playful shove back. "I was just teasing you."

Kazemon sat down and buried her head in her hands. "Why do I put up with you...?"

"You know you enjoy my company." Lowemon joked.

Kazemon looked up at him before she gave him a playful shove back. "You bet I do."

Both Digimon grinned at each other, which made Major Glory smile at seeing the comradery among them.

Lowemon and Kazemon made their way over to Agunimon, who wasn't sure if Kazemon was going to get fussy over his well-being again. But when they both sat down, Kazemon sighed. "I guess I shouldn't have been so fussy."

"Yeah, you're right you shouldn't have been." Agunimon grumbled.

"It's just... seeing you like that... It... it... s-scared me..." Kazemon continued, which made Agunimon's face take on something more akin to sympathy at her words. "I... I really thought you were going to... d-die..."

At hearing those words, Agunimon looked down, a bit of guilt coming onto his face. He hadn't bothered to consider how Kazemon and Lowemon had felt at seeing him in that state.

In an attempt to comfort the Warrior of Wind, the Warrior of Flame's hand moved over her own, giving it a gentle squeeze as he looked at her. "Kazemon?"

Kazemon looked up into Agunimon's face, her visor-covered eyes making contact with his own blue ones.

"I'm going to be fine. There's no need to worry." Agunimon reassured her. "Everything's going to be fine."

Lowemon reached out and placed a hand on Kazemon's shoulder, making her look back at the Warrior of Darkness. "Don't worry. We're all in this together. If anything, we need to look out for each other more than ever now."

Kazemon smiled at the words from both of the male Legendary Warriors. "Yeah, you're right."

All three of them shared a smile, which made Major Glory's heart swell with warmth and pride. It made him proud to be a hero at times like this. To see team members getting along so well made him feel like there was always a bit of hope for the future, not matter how bleak things looked.

* * *

In the security room, Akira frowned to himself. He had finished his run of checking the sparring arena's systems, and things had checked out as normal. _'But if that is the case, then what was with that outside interference?'_ The Coordinator thought to himself. _'Why would someone attempt to get into the systems of the arena, only to then leave? It doesn't make any sense.'_ Then a thought crossed his mind. _'Unless they were preparing for some kind of attack!'_ However, that thought seemed impossible to pull off, given the security of the arena's systems.

Still, Akira knew he couldn't consider it impossible since anything seemed to be possible in this world. _'Heero's last message said that the impossible would be considered possible here while the possible is considered impossible.'_ Akira reminded himself. _'That means I have to treat this as though an attack is coming, no matter how unlikely it seems.'_

He began to run through the systems, trying to identify and isolate possible attack points. _'If I can pinpoint possible attack locations, then maybe I can boost the cyber defenses of those_ systems.' Akira mused as he moved through the systems using his Coordinator abilities.

As he worked, Akira pondered on what could be behind the intrusions into the systems of the Hall of Heroes. However, that would have to wait, as he had some systems to reinforce.

* * *

**Ruins**

Heero couldn't believe he was about to do this. He was currently sitting in the cockpit of Wing Zero, his machine loaded onto the catapult in preparation for launch. Leonardo was watching from the main hanger's observation bay, where he could see how the ship's crew prepared for a launch.

_"Wing Zero SX, you're clear for launch."_ Technical Sergeant Haww reported over the ship-wide com-system.

Heero took in a deep breath before letting it out. When he looked back ahead towards the main monitor's images of the catapult's exit to the outside, the commander spoke up. "Admiral Heero Yuy, Wing Zero SX, launching!"

As soon as he said those words, the GN Drives powered up, letting power flow to the catapult before it began to push Wing Zero towards the exit. Heero powered up Wing Zero's engines, and the thrust propelled the Gundam even faster towards the catapult's end. The thrust pushed the admiral back into his seat, his flight suit taking the G-forces he was experiencing and making them less intense so he wouldn't black out. In a matter of seconds, Wing Zero was out of the hanger and airborne, the hanger door closing up behind him.

Now in the air above the ruins, Heero activated Wing Zero's radar, which picked up the Grimm easily. The Seer Grimm was also showing up on his sensors, which made Heero smirk a bit. However, this plan was risky, so he would have to do this carefully.

Glancing at the monitors, Heero could see the Seer Grimm flying around, trying to get close to his machine. However, he wasn't the only one out there. For on Wing Zero's back hidden behind one of the wings, was a green form that had a shell on its back.

The Seer Grimm flew around Wing Zero as it hovered there, taking in the machine's appearance. Of course, it was difficult to tell just _how_ strong the Gundam was based on appearance alone. But that was what Heero was hoping for. _'If Sammael is trying to get an idea of how powerful Wing Zero is, then he would be hard pressed to find out, because one can't tell based on mere appearance alone.'_ Heero mused to himself.

Heero could see the Seer Grimm getting closer before it circled around to Wing Zero's back. It was getting close, _way_ too close for Heero's liking. But it was needed because if this plan was to work, it had to get as close as possible for the trap to be sprung.

The Seer Grimm flew close to Wing Zero's left engine, where Leonardo was hiding. Then, the Mobian jumped out from behind the engine and struck with his twin swords, slashing the Grimm across the eyes before grabbing its tentacles and tying the appendages together with thick steel cables. Grabbing the now bound Grimm, Leo landed on Wing Zero's outstretched hand.

Wing Zero looked down at Leo, who looked up and gave the thumbs up with a smile.

Inside the cockpit, Heero gave a sigh of relief. The Seer Grimm had been caught without a hitch...

* * *

**GrimmFall**

Akira watched as the sparring sessions began, his space in the systems control room overlooking everything in the Sparring Chamber. So far, everything was looking good with the systems and programming, which told the undercover Coordinator that things could get bad if he wasn't alert.

So far, one sparring match was going on, and it was the spar between two people, one called Doyle, and the other was named Connor. The match went without a hitch, save for the interference of what was a dragon, and that surprised Akira, as he hadn't expected _dragons_ to exist here. _'Then again, I shouldn't be too surprised since this is not our Earth.'_ He reminded himself. The match was won by Doyle, which impressed Akira. But it had been a fair fight, despite the interference of the dragon.

_'Should I try to get involved myself?'_ Akira wondered before he shook his head. _'Nah. I don't have an Aura or Semblance, and my SEED, while strong in its own right, is not enough. STAR is out as that lasts for only a minute before I fall into that coma-like state, and if I push beyond the minute, I will die.'_

Leaning back into his chair, Akira decided to watch the rest of the matches. He had his computer running the intrusion detection program, so it would alert him to if that unknown interference source came back.

* * *

Capital G looked at the teams that were assembled. "That was a fair first match, save for the dragon interfering, but I will let that one slide since it was accepted as fair by both combatants."

He then looked up at the Chamber's control center. "If you are all curious as to who is observing our matches, it would be none other than one of our civilian employees, Alex Nealson."

"You guys employ civilians?" Abby asked as she looked at the hero.

"We do." Capital G confirmed. "But it is not actually public knowledge, lest the villains or Fallen get their hands on one of them for data or information."

Wally whistled. "Wow. Now that's not what I expected."

Capital G looked up at Alex's location again. "Alex is here to make sure the systems are running smoothly and to keep our systems secure." He gave a smile to the civilian employee. "He will make sure the chamber is running smoothly during our spars. If anything goes wrong, he will let us know."

* * *

Up in the control room, Akira gave a nod to Capital G before he went back to checking the systems. Things seemed fine so far, but the pilot knew that could change in a matter of seconds.

It just depended on when, where, and who did it.

* * *

In his cell, Jimmy gave a sneer. He could tell his 'friend' was waiting, biding his time. _'Soon, I will be out of here...'_

* * *

**Dimensional Pocket**

_Yen Sid frowned as he saw the images of Akira, DemiDevimon, and Jimmy on one of his many screens/magic portals. _'There is to be a confrontation between three, with two escaping while one struggles to save many more. The one shall be successful, but at the cost of the two fleeing.'

_The scene then shifted to show the two Gundams in the mountains of Nowhere. _'Two shall find the lair of the breeches, but they will have to make a choice between the defense of their home, or the lives of their comrades. Saving both is out of the question.'_ However, Yen Sid knew this unit had a knack for pulling off the impossible, so he didn't count that third option out as truly impossible yet._

_Three more images were shown, one of a female general with hazel eyes and brown hair, one of Mayor Sebben, and one of a symbol only Yen Sid knew the origins of, the United Nations symbol with the golden wings behind it. _'Two influential people shall meet, with one holding the ability to see the future and the other without. Yet one shall try to convince the other not everything is set in stone, or it will be one trying to convince the other things are set for life. One of the two will come out on top, while the other will refuse to accept the other's beliefs. But which shall it be?'

_Turning away from his images, Yen Sid's thoughts drifted to Tiger of the Wind and his condition. _'I pray someone finds Tiger and helps him before our civilization dies out... He is our last hope, for he holds knowledge that would be for naught if he dies...'

_But only time would tell who helped, and if at all._

* * *

**Derek and Nicol find the potential location of the base while the Legendary Warriors reunite with their now recovering leader. Akira works on the systems of the Hall of Heroes while Zero Squad manages to capture a Seer Grimm, thanks to Leonardo and his cloning Semblance as Flay takes on a Beowolf Grimm that Sammael sent to attack Mayor Sebben and wins. All the while, Yen Sid ponders the futures that he sees. What will happen next? Read on to find out~! :3 **


	6. Darkness of Deceit VI

**Here is another chapter~! :3**

**D.N Works: Glad I can keep you on your toes! XD**

**GCD: I will send you a PM about the ideas. :3 And trust me, 'Alex' will see more soon enough. :)**

**merendinoemiliano: Glad you liked it. :3**

**nightmaster000: Sammael doesn't do things by the book, hence why the Beowolf thing. Plus, it was to test the new hire, whom Sammael is aware of, but he does not know she is a human, as he assumes she is a 'Faceless One' disguised as a human. :3 And I am glad you liked the scenes with the Legendary Warriors. :3 As for the 'hacking' the Seer, Zero Squad didn't know it was not mechanical until they caught one. ^^' And yes, Leo is in the loop about Cree. :3**

**Lord Maximus: You will like this update as well! :3**

**Titanic X: Something will~! ;3**

**Note: If any readers have an account, then please review using your account please. If you are too lazy to log in, then at least leave your account name so I can know who you are. If any reader does not have an account, then at least use a **consistent** name when reviewing so I can respond in a more personal manner, as the name 'Guest' does not seem too personable to me.**

_***"Cybertronian"***_

* * *

**Dimension O-000**

In Dimension O-000, a small portal opened in one of the colonies before it was forced to close due to the dimensional jamming technology being in effect. Of course, only one of the objects that had been coming through the portal managed to get through before the portal closed in on itself, destroying the rest of the mechanical bees.

The lone bee flew around the colony in question, New Juneau. It flew towards where there was a large group of humans gathering around to watch what was revealed to be a match between two giant machines. The lone bee flew over and began to scan the machines, only to find they were being controlled by humans instead. The bee flew over, having picked up something strange, but in order for it to get close to the machines and their pilots, it had to land on something or someone.

Following its directive, the fake bee flew over and landed on a human's shoulder. _Unfortunately_, that human was Orga Sabnak, one of the reserve pilots for Zero Squadron. He looked down and saw the 'bee' on his shoulder and scowled. A hand reached up and smacked the 'bee', making sure to squish it, or at least, tried to. Orga blinked as he removed his hand, staring at the 'bee' on it. The 'bee' was looking like it was fake... _'Slag!'_ Orga thought before he clenched a fist around the 'bee' and ran off to find someone in the tech department. But while he was doing that, the 'bee' began to scan his body, picking up what changes he had gone through as well as what made him unique. Of course, there wasn't much that made Orga special, just that he had some odd genetic abnormalities and artificial implants that made him stronger than a regular human.

Still, the 'bee' registered these genetic differences as unique, and thus, sent the data back to Van Kleiss himself.

* * *

**GF-007**

On the _Constitution_, Zero Squadron was watching the Seer Grimm, which was currently in a holding cell.

"The Seer is locked up and any guards nearby are wearing masks and pilot suits to keep their identity secret." Captain Raimus reported.

Heero nodded, looking at the surveillance camera of the Seer Grimm's cell, looking at the creature that was still bound. "Good. If it can't see anything it can't report anything to Sammael."

The Seer Grimm remained still, unwilling to even try to break free. Perhaps with its capture Sammael has abandoned it and decided to send another one in its place.

"What about the Faunus it was with? Cree Lincoln?" Heero asked.

"Still out there but she's moving away. Maybe the loss of the Seer has caused her to fall back." Raimus stated.

"She's definitely worried." Mu stated. "I think she dreads going back without something to report."

Heero frowned as he considered what Sammael might to do to her if he believed she was responsible for the Grimm's capture. "Leonardo, any idea what to do about her?"

"Obviously she's wanted for her connection to Sammael and I would like the chance to question her about any of his plans." Leo replied. "Without the Seer Grimm with her it's safer to go out and I could try to reason with her."

"You think she'd surrender?"

"I don't know the full story but all I know for sure what I heard from my Sensei and Mr. Sebben is that Cree disappeared after her abandoning her sister in GrimmFall. She was officially seen again until recently when she was spotted in the Darklands, working with Sammael and the Invisible Hand." Leo started. "She might know where the other members are and what their plan is. If we can find out we can stop them and take out all of Sammael's major allies."

Heero considered that but just before he could say anything there was shout from Technical Sergeant Haww. "Sir, something's happening with the Seer."

Heero and Leo looked at the screen, watching as the Seer Grimm's crystal ball shattered and it seemingly died...Only for its body to evaporate into a dark mist. The mist became humanoid shaped with a face forming from the head...

"Sammael!" Leo shouted in alarm.

Sammael, or perhaps a representation of him stood in the cell where the Seer Grimm had previously stood. His body was made entirely of dark vapor with a red light shining from his chest. Only his face and red hair appeared solid as he looked up at the security camera.

_"I hope that this camera is recording my voice as much my surprise entry."_ Sammael remarked with a small smile. _"I'd have come in person but I am sure you are no doubt aware I am very busy man. Congratulations on capturing this Seer though as it is not as easy as one would think...Leonardo."_

Leo stiffened at the mention of his name.

_"The eldest of four brothers, adopted by Master Splinter of Yamanouchi Academy, the top Huntsmen Academy in Japan. The eldest and most skilled, following after his Sensei. I've heard much about you along with your brothers, Donatello, Raphael and Michelangelo. Of course you haven't seen your brothers for quite some time, have you?"_ Sammael said casually. _"Donatello is in GrimmFall as we speak, finding a new friend and possibly a new team, Michelangelo is quite the writer and prefers to do charity work these days and as for Raphael..."_ Sammael chuckled. "_He's quite the troublemaker isn't he? A pure fighter with the temper to match but always felt that you all didn't do enough for the world, breaking off from Splinter and Sebben to form his own group to continue the fight, the Shell Shockers. I heard he doesn't keep in touch with any of you at all."_

Leo clenched his fists, gritting his teeth.

_"What was it that tore him away? Was it because he lost very close friends and blamed the rest of the world for not being strong and united enough to help him?"_ Sammael continued, moving to the door. _"How tragic to see family torn apart."_

He held out a misty hand to the door and everyone watched in horror as the misty hand expanded, reaching out into the door and tried to take control of the mechanisms inside to force it open.

"Seal off that section!" Heero shouted, knowing that if Sammael was free to roam the ship he'd learn about the crew and the dimension they were from.

At once, the crew went to work doing just that. Emergency doors inside near the holding cell came down with loud _BANG_ sounds, sealing in the form of Sammael as the cell door was forced open. Heero narrowed his eyes as the misty form of Sammael's projection made its way around the small area.

_"How odd. Why would you have this small section sealed off?"_ Sammael's projection mused. _"Is there something that you are to hide?"_

Heero looked to the bridge crew. "Have all members of the crew armed. That projection may get through those doors." He reached up and put his helmet on. "And send out an alert to have all crew, condition Delta-Three."

Captain Ramius frowned. It wasn't often that the condition 'Delta-Three' was called. That was only for a breech in the hull of a spaceship, as it called for all crew to wear flight suits. But in this case, it seemed like the best bet to hide their faces. "Very well."

"Also, get the interior Energon shields primed. If those doors are opened, put it up." Heero added. "Hopefully the concentrated energy will keep that projection at bay for a time."

* * *

Sammael's projection was able to slip past the closed doors, only for more closed doors to be seen. Sammael felt a smirk tug at his lips. _'Well, now. It seems they are desperate to keep me sealed in. No matter. I can still get through.'_

He held out a hand and the doors were forced to open once more.

But as soon as he did, a glowing red barrier popped up, forcing the projection to yank its hand back.

Sammael looked at the red barrier, which had some kind of concentrated beams interspersed with it's glow. "Hmmm... What do we have here?"

His projection reached out towards the energy barrier, despite not being aware of what it was.

The projection's hand passed through the barrier, but not without consequences, as the misty appendage seemed to be dispersing due to the energy being concentrated enough that it was affecting the mist.

Sammael gave a small frown. _'This barrier...'_ Turning as footsteps were heard, Sammael could see the crew of this ship in their true forms. Of course, all of them were wielding some kind of weapons, whether close range or ranged. He gave a bit of a smirk.

* * *

Athrun, who was wearing his flight suit and helmet, narrowed his eyes at the misty form of Sammael before him and the squad he had under his command. _'So, that is Sammael's projection huh? We can't assume he is without some kind of tangible form here.'_ The admiral reminded himself. _'Not if it was able to open the doors.'_ Athrun aimed his machine gun, just as his squad also did the same. _***"Okay, remember to keep a distance, and if he tries to come near you, run for it!"***_ Athrun instructed, using his translator to hide his human voice.

Thankfully, his helmet's translator could also translate the resulting Cybertronian language to English, as could everyone else's.

_***"Yes, sir!"***_ The squad replied.

However, as the projection came down towards the assembled unit, it slowly began to fade. Athrun blinked, unsure of what to make of this. Sammael's projection gave a look around before glancing at the admiral and his squad with him.

"We will meet again, my faceless foes." Sammael's form chuckled before fading into a portal that opened. "You have me intrigued. Until then, stay alive."

The projection faded, making Athrun narrow his green eyes beneath the glass faceplate he wore.

_'What did he mean we have him intrigued? And is that a good thing, or a bad thing?'_ Athrun thought before he reached up and removed his helmet, revealing the 'Snoopy Cap' and his face.

* * *

**GrimmFall**

Akira looked on as the second match between Tiki Torch, one of the Class V Hunters, and a Faunus, or was it Mobian, Hunter named North. Of course, while North seemed to be stronger than Tiki Torch, in the end, the tiki-themed hero won by excellent timing for using his Semblance. Akira had to give a nod of approval at that tactic. _'Not bad. That Tiki Torch really had even me fooled. Heh, I can see why he's a Class V Huntsman easily.'_ The undercover Coordinator had his arms folded as he observed the combatants getting ready for the next battle to come.

Of course, he was not paying attention to the laptop he had, nor the program he was running. If he had, then Akira would have seen the program's alerts were beginning to trigger because of a slight interference that was coming from outside the Hall of Heroes.

* * *

**Nowhere Mountains**

Nicol and Derek were looking for any sign of a way into the mountain interior where Derek had sensed Ultra Magnus's presence. But that was easier said than done because the entrance, if there _was_ one, was so darn well hidden!

_"Great... _Now_ what do we do?"_ Nicol groaned as he had the Neo Blitz step back from the cliff-face they had been searching against.

_"We keep looking. I'm sure there's a way in."_ Derek replied as Nicol groaned and felt like smacking his face with his hand, but due to wearing their flight suits, that was not possible and he could possibly break his hand or even the glass faceplate if he wasn't careful.

Sighing, Nicol leaned back in his pilot's chair in his cockpit, only to look up at the ceiling of the cockpit. "But where are we going to look...?" He murmured before he suddenly had an idea cross his mind, making his eyes widen in shock and realization. He knew what to do!

Sitting up straight again, Nicol gripped the controls of the Neo Blitz and turned the black and grey Gundam to face the rock walls. Focusing on the familiar feeling of fury, Nicol's brown SEED exploded in his mind's eye with the red vertical ring around it, causing his eyes to glaze over as his pupils shrank to mere pinpricks. Now in SEED Mode, Nicol flicked his brown eyes over the rocky cliff-face, looking for anything out of the ordinary. Thanks to his SEED Factor, Nicol was able to see patterns that were otherwise invisible to everyone else who lacked the SEED and STAR Factors. There was a slight shimmering, ripple effect that he picked up on, which made Nicol smirk.

_"Derek, I found our way in."_ Nicol reported, making Derek's machine's head look back at his location in surprise.

_"You did?! How?!"_ Derek asked in shock.

_"SEED Mode."_ Those two words prompted a grin to cross Derek's unseen lips.

_"Heh...Haha...HAHAHA! I _knew_ we would find the entrance to that base!"_ Derek cheered as he laughed in relief and happiness as Nicol's SEED went dormant again.

Nicol had the Neo Blitz move up to where the entrance was, only to kneel his machine down, but out of sight so no one could find it. Nicol then powered down his machine and the cockpit opened, only for the pilot to exit. Landing on the ground after riding down the lift cable, Nicol walked over to the wall and placed a hand out, only for his hand to pass through the wall. _"It seems this is some kind of jamming and holographic field that conceals the main entrance to this base."_

Derek's own machine walked over, kneeling down as well before it too powered down, again out of sight, with the other pilot exiting the same way Nicol had. _"That would make sense."_ Derek mused before he walked over as well. Only he didn't stop and just stick his arm through. No, Derek walked through the wall entirely, only to stick his arm out and pull Nicol into the now revealed tunnel.

Nicol blinked, surprised to see that they were indeed inside what looked like a base for sure. _"Okay... I think we found our main base of operations for those interfering with dimensional boundaries..."_

Commander Lockheed closed his eyes and focused his Newtype senses, picking up the location of Ultra Magnus and the crew of the _Steelhaven_. _"I have a possible location for the_ Steelhaven." The commander said as he opened his eyes and looked at Nicol. _"Do you think you can focus on the dimensional breech machine while I find and liberate the _Steelhaven_, Nicol?"_

1st Lt. Amalfi gave a nod. _"Yes, I can."_ The other spec-ops soldier confirmed before they turned and ran down the tunnel, except they didn't do it on the floor. No, they scaled the walls and ran along the ceiling, using their gecko boots to stick to it like it was the floor.

The 1st lieutenant split off from the commander, heading down one hallway while his fellow pilot went down another.

Once he was on his own, 1st Lt. Amalfi knew what he had to do. He looked around for any sign of a camera, only to see it off to the side. Making his way over, the Coordinator ripped out the wires to the camera before he moved on down the hallway corridor the camera had been watching. He had a machine to find and destroy.

* * *

**Ruins**

The crew of the _Constitution_ was on edge now. They had nearly had Sammael find out about them, and it was very close indeed. It was only because of Sammael's projection leaving that they had been spared being found out. However, Cagalli, as Heero's superior, was now giving him a serious scolding about being reckless like that.

"I _TOLD_ you to not do something so reckless before I left on that infiltration mission, and yet what did you do?! Something reckless!" Cagalli shouted, making Heero wince at her tone of voice. "Now tell me _what_ possessed you to capture a Seer Grimm!"

"It was a plan Zero had." Heero replied. "It was possible we could try to figure out where Sammael's HQ was by backtracking the signals it sent to him."

Cagalli groaned at hearing that. "I don't doubt Zero's intentions were good, but it was _still_ a foolish idea!"

Heero looked down. "I know. I was prepared to reject it, but then Zero showed me what could have happened had we not done it."

Looking at the squadron commander, Cagalli raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what could have happened?"

"We would have been found out as being human." Heero replied.

His words made Cagalli pause for thought. While she knew of people here having the ability to see the future, the fact that the ZERO System was able to predict so many variables that certain things were actually predicted to happen never failed to amaze her. _'I guess that makes sense. The Grimm _was_ getting close to the ship, and had Heero not launched to distract the_ Grimm...' She then sighed.

"While it _was_ foolish and reckless, I guess it _did_ keep us safe." The ORB Union queen conceded.

Heero looked back at her. "Regardless, even if Sammael did see the ship's interior, he only saw small parts of it, and he never saw our faces due to our helmets having the grey glass faceplates."

Cagalli had to nod in agreement. "That's true." She admitted. She then stood up and walked to the windows of her room on the ship. "But we have to be very careful now. Sammael will want to know more about us, so that means no more capturing Grimm. When we make our next report, we will have to explain why we cannot capture a Grimm to the UEN."

Heero pursed his lips, recalling one of their mission objectives was to capture a Grimm alive and intact for study. "If what we saw is any indication, that objective will have to be retracted and dismissed."

"Agreed." Cagalli said softly. The two leaders remained in silence, pondering how the UEN leadership would take the news that Grimm could be used by Sammael to do an astral projection.

* * *

**Mining Town**

Wing Saber sat in one of the warehouses that once held coal and Dust crystals, Arcee soundly sleeping in recharge nearby. She had snapped at him earlier, saying he didn't care about helping her find the Prime and his ship, that he only cared about himself and was only pretending to be an Autobot just so he could woo the femmes into one-night relationships with him.

That last insult had stung down to his spark, because while he _was_ a bit of a flirt, he would never 'pretend to be' an Autobot. Wing Saber _was_ an Autobot, and one who took his duty _very_ seriously. Hence why he was more focused on trying to keep Arcee alive for the moment. She was the only one who could recall where the Prime's ship was, even if he had seen the data on the location himself; he could tell the data from Arcee's ship was trashed from the crash, so he would not be able to rely on that.

Looking back out and away from Arcee, Wing Saber felt a twinge of longing from his spark; it was calling out to not just his Combiner partner, but also to a close comrade of his. Wing Saber sighed as he prepared to fall into recharge himself, but just as sleep came up to claim him, his sensors and radar suddenly pinged, making Wing Saber sit up abruptly. He looked around, his green optics narrowing as he tried to find out what had set off his radar and sensors.

Then, the ping came again. Getting up onto his feet, Wing Saber crept towards the door of the warehouse, getting out one of his wing blades as a precaution. He hoped to Primus that it wasn't one of those large Grimm again. Wing Saber peered around the open door cautiously, and upon seeing an unknown form, lunged out as he drew back his blade.

* * *

**GrimmFall**

In the Hall of Heroes, Lowemon, Kazemon, and Agunimon were making their way down to the Sparring Chamber, with all three of the Legendary Warriors eager to see what was going to happen for the matches. Of course, being the stubborn Digimon he was, Agunimon had insisted he be allowed to spar despite his still healing side wound.

Kazemon had nearly thrown a fit when she had found out, but it was his choice, so she had to let it slide.

As soon as the trio of Digimon arrived at the Sparring Chamber, Lowemon let out a low whistle at seeing how big the chamber was. "This is impressive."

"Tell me about it..." Kazemon murmured, feeling a bit overwhelmed at how massive it was. Beside her, Agunimon was also impressed, looking around himself. However, as he stepped back a few steps, the Warrior of Flame wound up bumping into another form, only to get shoved to the floor roughly in return, landing on the side where he had been stabbed. Agunimon hissed in pain as his hand flew to his injured side, thankful that the stitches had held, even with the bandages on as a precaution just in case.

"Watch where you be stepping, lad..." A foreign sounding voice said sternly as the owner stepped over to him.

Agunimon looked up, only to see a man with shockingly red, almost orange, hair on his face and head, a barrel of a chest, muscular arms, and one leg that was flesh, with the other being a machine gun. The man wore a white shirt and had the classic kilt of the Scottish people on as well.

"Sorry..." The Digimon rasped out, trying to keep the pain out of his voice. He felt he did a decent job of it, as it seemed this man hadn't caught onto his pain-filled tone.

The big man looked down at Agunimon for a moment longer before he held out a hand to help the Warrior of Flame to his feet. Agunimon took the hand with his hand that had been on his side, allowing the Scotsman to pull him to his feet.

"Sorry about that, laddie." The man said. "I didn't see ye there, so I assumed ye were someone else."

Agunimon waved it off. "Don't worry about it." Looking back at the man, Agunimon looked him up and down in curiosity.

The man raised an eyebrow. "Something on yer mind, laddie?"

"Um... No, there isn't..." Agunimon muttered as he looked away, trying to hide his embarrassment at having been staring at the Scotsman.

It was then that the realization that the Digimon didn't know who he was hit the Scotsman, and he gave a hearty bellow of laughter. "Aye... I see what is bothering ye." The Scotsman exclaimed as he gave Agunimon a hefty smack on the back, making the Digimon give a hiss of pain because the hit had been close to his still healing side wound. "We haven't been introduced, have we?"

"No... We... We haven't..." Agunimon rasped out, trying _very_ hard to keep his voice free from any sign of pain.

The Scotsman was either fooled by the Digimon's attempt to keep the pain out of his voice, he was not aware of it, or if he was aware of it, he was not saying anything about it. "Me name is Scotty Blake of the Blake Clan." Scotty introduced with a wide smile. "Most refer to me as the Scotsman, although ye can call me Scotty if ye wish."

Agunimon gave a smirk. "Agunimon, one of the ten Legendary Warriors. I'm also known as the Warrior of Flame."

Scotty gave another hearty laugh. "So _you_ be the one mentioned as the 'Dragon's Apprentice'!"

Hearing that, Agunimon blinked. He had heard Callie Briggs call him that as well. "You know Dracon?"

"Aye, lad. And it appears he trained ye well." Scotty replied with another wide smile. "Ye have made a name for yeself already, as many have noticed ye fighting style is similar to the Dragon's."

A groan escaped Agunimon as he realized where he had gotten the moniker 'Dragon's Apprentice'. "Aw man..."

Scotty just gave another hearty guffaw as Agunimon sighed.

* * *

**Ruins**

Heero was in the bridge of the _Constitution_ along with the rest of Zero Squadron when the call went through to their home dimension. The image of Secretary General Willis appeared on the main monitor after a few seconds of static.

_"Well, Admiral, what do you have to report?"_ The Natural asked as Heero steeled himself for what he was about to report.

"Sir, as if 1449 hours, we had in our capture and possession a Grimm." Heero began.

_"Ah, good. So, what kind of Grimm is it?"_ Secretary General Willis asked.

"_Was_, sir. The Grimm _was_ a Seer type Grimm, a Grimm used for communications and observation." Heero continued. He then squared his shoulders and looked the image of the most powerful man on their Earth in the eye directly. "Sir, at 1519 hours, a half hour after capture, the Seer Grimm turned into a dark mist, which turned out to be some kind of astral projection of this world's biggest threat."

The secretary general's image frowned at hearing that. _"Go on, Admiral Yuy…"_

Heero continued with his explanation. "Upon materialization into the holding cell, the projection was able to break out by forcing the doors open. We sealed off the section, but the blast doors were forced open as well, only for an Energon barrier to stop the projection." The commander of Zero Squadron then took a shaky breath to calm himself down. "After that, the astral projection faded into a portal of some kind. We were wearing helmets and flight suits so none of us were seen." Heero then looked back up at Secretary General Willis's image. "Sir, I must protest against bringing a Grimm into our universe. The astral projection ability of this threat, known as Sammael, should _not_ be taken lightly. What if that Grimm were to 'die' in our universe, only for Sammael to do an astral projection into our home universe?"

To the most powerful man on Earth, it was odd hearing how _scared_ Heero Yuy, their _most powerful_ and _feared_ pilot, was sounding. He frowned before he took on a thoughtful look. For his part, Heero was nervous about how the secretary general would react. For Secretary General Willis, if _Heero_ of all people was scared, then that said something about this new threat. Finally, after some careful deliberation, Secretary General Willis looked up. _"Admiral Yuy, as of right now, capture of any Grimm is off the record. It is not necessary to capture one, nor is it worth the risk. Any further orders on capture of Grimm are hereby withdrawn and off the table."_

Hearing those words made Heero visibly relax.

_"However, that does not mean we should ignore the potential of the... Dark_ _Substance."_ Secretary General Willis replied. _"If at all possible, obtaining even a small sample would be sufficient, although since this stuff can form Grimm, I will leave it up to your discretion on whether or not you should even attempt to gather a sample."_

Heero nodded. "Understood, sir."

As the image winked out, Leonardo came out of hiding in the shadows to the bridge crew. "You guys got very lucky." He noted as Heero sighed.

"Don't remind me..." The admiral grumbled. "I already got a chewing out from Cagalli about that reckless action."

Leo nodded. "Good thing she did that then. You guys don't need another stupid decision made."

Heero sighed and nodded.

* * *

It was a few hours later as Heero walked into the hanger and looked up at Wing Zero. "You almost got us outed, Zero." Heero murmured to his machine.

The optics flared once, a sign that the system understood what its pilot was saying to it.

Heero walked up, rode up the lift cable to the cockpit, and hopped inside before booting up the OS. The ZERO System immediately came online, allowing Heero to immerse himself into the system's grip. He closed his eyes and let the information flow into his mind. The ZERO System had been observing the Grimm, and as such, analyzed what it was capable of. But the system had been thrown for a loop when Sammael's projection had appeared, which made Heero open his eyes because that was when the system had stopped its observations.

_'Hmm... Even Zero doesn't know what Sammael did to that Seer. That isn't good...'_ Heero thought as he shut down Wing Zero's OS and leaned back into the cockpit seat. Heero looked up at the top of the cockpit, wondering just _what_ Sammael was capable of. _'Whatever this Sammael is capable of, it seems even Zero is wary...'_

Just then, Leo came in and saw the open cockpit. He walked over to the small elevator that went up to the catwalk that was in front of the cockpit. Once at cockpit level, Leo walked over and peered in at Heero. "I was told I could find you here."

Heero gave a snort. "Who told you? Cagalli?"

"The Vice-Admiral, Luna I think it was." Leo corrected.

Heero sighed. "That is her."

Leo looked at the admiral. "You came to your machine? Why?"

"It was to find out what Zero observed." Heero replied. "That is the OS of my machine."

Leo blinked, but nodded. "Okay...?"

"How it works is top-secret, and only members of from my home dimension can know, sadly." Heero said, as he really _did_ want to tell Leo about the ZERO System, but due to there being so many villains here, the chances of someone getting caught and spilling the information were quite high.

Leo nodded in understanding. "I understand. But anyway... what did Zero show you?"

"Just what the Seer Grimm was capable of before the recording stopped when Sammael's projection appeared." Heero replied. "I didn't learn anything new, if that is what you were wondering."

Leo frowned upon hearing that, but he nodded. "I see."

Looking inside the cockpit, Leo could see where the controls were, and he even saw there were pedals on the floor for Heero to use to move the Gundam. Heero noticed the way the Mobian was looking around the cockpit and gave a thoughtful frown.

"Take a seat."

Leo perked up as he saw Admiral Yuy now standing up and moving out of the cockpit. "What?"

"Take a seat." Heero repeated, gesturing for Leo to do so.

Warily, the Mobian took Heero's advice and moved himself into the seat. Heero noted with some approval that Leo could fit into Wing Zero's seat, albeit with a bit of difficulty. There was a reason he was having Leo take a seat though, and it was not to let the Mobian pilot Wing Zero. A slight smirk played at Heero's lips. _'It seems things may work out...'_ He mused as Leonardo moved the controls and tested the pedals.

* * *

**Denver**

In the city of Denver, Shinn Asuka and Chris Dante were currently undercover, trying to gather data on the Dragon of Denver. Sadly though, it was not going so well. Shinn groaned as he flopped back onto the bed of the apartment he and Chris were renting. Since getting stationed in Denver, the two pilots had gotten jobs doing certain things. In Chris's case, he was a musician in the local band while Shinn himself had gotten work as an EMT.

_'Of course I would be the one who had to pay the rent...'_ Shinn thought grumpily. _'I had to be the one to get the paying job...'_

Looking out at the sky above, Shinn frowned to himself. It seemed like yesterday he was an ace pilot for an elite unit, but now he was just a 'regular EMT' here.

Shinn sighed, hoping that sooner or later, they would get some kind of break in the mission's objectives. _'Then we could just head home...'_

* * *

**Ruins**

Cree frowned as she observed the ruins, where these faceless beings were still working on their excavation. She sighed to herself. It seemed her mission hadn't been that successful, and while Sammael had sent her a thank-you message with another Seer Grimm because it had worked out in that he had gotten inside what was an alien ship, the Fallen himself hadn't been able to see much of the ship's inner workings.

That thought made Cree frown again. She hadn't seen any kind of ship, which made her wonder if it was cloaked somehow. Then it hit her. _'The ship is cloaked! No wonder I couldn't find it!'_

Standing up, Cree decided to try and find this ship, but at once, her heart sank when she realized the enormity of the task before her. The area of the ruins was huge, and even on the outskirts of the ruins, that was a large area to search.

_'Great... I don't even know where to begin the search...'_ Cree thought sadly as she sat back down. If only she knew to look behind her...

* * *

**GrimmFall**

Agunimon had been impressed by the two female fighters' match, which was a tense one for sure. _'I hope my opponent isn't as skilled as that...'_

The Warrior of Flame gave a glance at Scotty before shoving the thought of fighting the Scotsman aside. _'Yeah... I don't know...'_

Lowemon and Kazemon were talking about the match. "That Erika girl was quite skilled." Kazemon noted.

"Indeed, but so was her opponent, Artemis." Lowemon replied. "In fact, both were skilled enough so that a tie was the only way the match could end."

Kazemon gave a small smile. "Yeah. And I'm glad it ended that way as well."

Lowemon looked at Kazemon with a matching glint in his red eyes.

* * *

In the observation room, Akira smirked to himself. That had been one match he had found impressive. _'Not bad. Both fighters could give us a run for our money, namely the archer-girl. She has some serious skill for lacking an Aura and Semblance.'_

He turned to the computer he had active, and ran through the systems, seeing nothing unusual so far. That made Akira frown slightly. _'Okay... it seems there has been no activity for a while. And if there is no activity or even attacks, then the chances of there being one later on increase the longer the attacks do not happen.'_

Typing away, Akira tried to find out where there could be any attacks, but the systems seemed fine for now. Groaning, Akira put his head into his hands. "Ugh... Great... No attacks have come yet, and that is making me more worried than ever!"

Akira turned away from the screen and stood up from his chair, walking over to the window where he could observe the battles. He placed a hand on the glass, wondering what kind of attack could come next. He knew it had to be cyber-based, but as to where it would come from, and what systems it would affect, that was the unknown.

_'I just hope I am up to the task of defending this place from what may come...'_ Akira thought sadly, remembering one time he had failed to save so many when they had been depending on his computer skills to save them. _'The Seed-Wing conflict... I failed so many during that one battle... And all because my computer skills were not up to the task...'_ He closed his eyes, his hair hiding his eyes as tears ran down the sides of his face.

-_Flashback-_

_"No way! This can't happen!" Akira exclaimed as he ran over to a computer terminal that sat beside a burning building. "I won't let it!"_

_He could see the occupants were pounding on the reinforced glass, some of them with tears running down their faces as their mouths moved in unheard pleas for help._

_The Neo-Nazi guard laughed as Akira's fingers flew over the keyboard. "There's no way you can save the undesirables now!"_

_Akira whirled around, only to shoot the guy in the hip, sending him to the ground. "SHUT UP!" With that done, Akira resumed his work to try and get the doors opened. However, the firewalls of the door controls were strong, much stronger than he had expected. "Damn it... This is taking too long!"_

_However, he was not about to quit, not when over 100 lives were riding on his efforts to do so._

_"Just hang in there..." Akira murmured, trying to reassure the occupants on the building the best he could. The Coordinator pushed his skills to the limit, but when he got to the last firewall, Akira found he was unable to get through it, as it was in a coding language he had not yet learned about. "Aw no... no, no, no, NO!" Akira exclaimed as he slammed his hands against the terminal's keyboard. "This can't be happening! It just can't!"_

_Before he could even make an attempt to crack the code though, Akira then felt something coming at him. The next thing he knew, he was being thrown back as the building literally exploded into pieces. While his flight suit protected him, parts of it were torn here and there, and his helmet cracked on one side, causing pieces of glass to pierce his scalp and making his face bloody. Large pieces of debris from the now destroyed building had pelted his flight suit's rigid outer shell, denting it in at least a few places. Groaning, Akira sat up, feeling blood running down the side of his face. He looked over, only to see the building was now gone. Horror flooded his face as he got to his feet. "NO!"_

_Akira ran to where the entrance had been, but he only saw the bodies of the victims scattered around, some not even fully intact. Falling to his knees, Akira let out the loudest scream of pain he could, even when it was not the physical pain that was bothering him._

_-End Flashback_-

Akira clenched his hand on the window into a fist. _'I swore I wouldn't fail them... And yet I did... Am... Am I really up to this task?'_

Major Glory's smiling face came into his mind, making Akira look up slightly. "No... Major Glory... He... He trusted me with this... And... I can't let him down..."

Looking up, Akira knew what he had to do. He was _not_ going to fail Major Glory, nor anyone else. Not this time...

* * *

_Mayor's Office_

Flay looked at the data she was gathering from Mayor Sebben's office. There was nothing new, just the usual chatter from the mayor and Ms. Briggs. However, she was still obligated to record it in case something slipped by her. Her pale blue eyes drifted over the words that came up on her screen, transmitted by the transmitter bug to her laptop for recording purposes.

Then, Flay saw something that seemed a bit interesting. _'Huh? What's this...?'_ Her eyes read over the words, widening in surprise. _'What?!'_ On her screen was a conversation about the Fallen, namely the one called Sammael, if she was reading this right. _'Slag it all!'_

Her hands flew over her keyboard as she began to take down this information. While Flay was not gifted with the genetic enhancements of her Coordinator teammates, she was still a highly trained soldier, and that included in the use of computers for hacking. Flay began to poke around in the servers and systems of the mayor's office for _anything_ that would be of use to her and the rest of Zero Squadron, but alas, there was nothing to be found, not even one shred of evidence or data that could give them information on the abilities of a Fallen on the capability of Sammael.

Flay grunted as she slammed a hand against the keyboard, feeling helpless to do anything. _'Slag it... _Why_ can't I find anything that could help my teammates out?!'_

Sighing, Flay leaned back in her seat at her desk and looked up at the ceiling. _'Am I really just a useless Natural?'_

However, memories of defeating that Beowolf came to her mind and Flay frowned. True, she had beaten it, but what good did that do? It was just one Grimm, not even a real threat to Mayor Sebben.

Then she remembered the odd feelings she had sensed from before that Grimm had shown up. _'Wait... What_ had_ I sensed that time?'_ Flay wondered before she looked down at her hands. _'And what sent that Beowolf to City Hall?'_

The feelings were still in her mind, and Flay shivered badly. _'Well, whatever it was that sent the Beowolf Grimm... It had very dark feelings.'_

* * *

**Van Kleiss's Lair**

Van Kleiss looked up as an alarm for one of his cameras nearby went off. Walking over to the main monitor, the EVO could see one of the cameras was indeed dark, with an image of what looked to be a faceless specter being shown before the image cut out.

"So, we have intruders..." Van Kleiss mused to himself. "This should be interesting..."

* * *

1st Lt. Amalfi made his way down the hallway, only to find himself in an unknown location. His brown eyes narrowed slightly as he looked around. It appeared to be some kind of development lab, but there were pieces of equipment he couldn't identify all around, along with things he could only guess on what they did as well.

_***"Is this some kind of lab?"***_ The Coordinator wondered to himself.

Making his way over, the stealth and explosives expert knelt down and picked up what looked like some kind of ray gun, but put it aside because he didn't need to worry about this lab. He had to find a map of this base so he could get to the breech machine before it activated again.

Getting to his feet, 1st Lt. Amalfi saw a computer terminal nearby and made his way over to it. _***"Perfect. I should be able to use this to find a layout of this place."***_

As the first lieutenant began to type away at the computer, he saw it was password protected and growled to himself. _***"Well, this is just slagging great..."***_

His fingers flew over the keyboard, trying to find the password so he could get in. However, the special operations pilot was unaware of the fact a camera was watching him, and that Van Kleiss knew he was in there.

* * *

** Zero Squadron encounters Sammael via his astral projection ability and nearly gets found out if not for them having an Energon barrier on the ship to isolate the projection. After which, Cagalli chews out Heero before the two give their report insisting that a Grimm can't be captured. Their orders are changed to new ones while Agunimon and his fellow Legendary Warriors arrive to watch the sparring going on. While this is going on, Nicol and Derek find Van Kleiss's lair, but they are found out about by Van Kleiss's cameras as Flay and Akira continue their respective missions at the same time. What will happen next? Read on to find out~! :3 **


	7. Darkness of Deceit VII

**Here is another chapter~! :3**

**D.N Works: It will be. :3**

**GCD: You will see soon enough. :)**

**merendinoemiliano: Glad you liked it and happy birthday~! :3**

**nightmaster000: Well, O-000 has dimensional jamming tech, so only one bug got through so far, but maybe more will have gotten through. We'll see... ;) Yes, the other Warriors will be mentioned again soon enough. :) As for Heero and his unit, that part about the Dark Substance being gathered was mentioned as up to him and his unit. Trust me, they will **not** attempt to get anymore samples. XD**

**Lord Maximus: I look forward to that! XD**

**Titanic X: You will see... ;3**

**Note: If any readers have an account, then please review using your account please. If you are too lazy to log in, then at least leave your account name so I can know who you are. If any reader does not have an account, then at least use a **consistent** name when reviewing so I can respond in a more personal manner, as the name 'Guest' does not seem too personable to me.**

_***"Cybertronian"***_

* * *

**Unknown Dimension**

_Across the dimensional spaces, beyond the walls of what was the space between them, a world sat at peace. There seemed to be nothing wrong, as all the inhabitants, both mechanical and organic seemed to enjoy their livelihoods. Beyond the mountains sat a majestic city, one that had twin towers with multiple panels floating around them in the center. There were many buildings and roads running throughout the city's center, but what stood out was not the panels or the twin towers. No, what stood out was the large base that hovered above the city, suspended in place by a tether to a satellite. This base was oddly shaped, like a giant hand almost._

_In the base's interior, humans and mechanical life forms milled around, going about their normal days._

_Things seemed fine, but a sudden yelp from one of the inhabitants showed a winged form running down the hall, followed by another form that had twin scabbards on its waist._

_"Get back here!" The sword-wielder shouted as the winged form just laughed._

_"Nope~!" The winged form teased the sword-wielder. "You _knew_ where to go! You just didn't pay attention to where I was headed!"_

_"That still doesn't make it funny!" The sword-wielder shouted back._

_"Actually, it does since you didn't remember what I set up there~!" The winged form taunted._

_Just then, before their chase could continue, the base's alarms went off. "Yes! Action time!" The winged form exclaimed before running off, the sword-wielder right behind him._

_The two forms raced to the command center, only for their squad leader to look at the sword-wielder in confusion. "What happened to you?"_

_"Blame prank-boy over there..." The sword-wielder grumbled._

_"Hey, don't blame me!" The winged form exclaimed in self-defense. "Bossanova ran into Paintball Corridor. I tried to warn him!"_

_The squad leader sighed. A soft humming purr made the winged form look back, only to see a knightly looking form hovering into view of the others. "Oh ye of little faith." The knightly form mocked. "How I knew thee well."_

_"Shut up, float boy!" The sword-wielder snapped._

_"Calm down guys!" A young male voice spoke up. "We don't need an argument in front of the chief!"_

_"He's right." The squad leader said sternly. "We might have a mission."_

_"And you would be right." A deeper male voice said as all six stood at attention._

_"Oh, I hope it's nothing bad." The lone female of the group murmured._

_The older male form sighed. "Then, I'm afraid that is not the case, as there have been dimensional anomalies detected recently, and they all seem to stem from the same source."_

_On the screen behind the chief, images of a new dimension came up. "This is the source of the dimensional anomalies." The chief began to explain. "Most of, if not all, the anomalies seem to be coming from here."_

_The young male form frowned. "What are those things?" He asked, pointing at the images of the black forms with bone-like armor and red eyes._

_"We don't know." The chief admitted. "But that is why you six are going to be sent there. We need to get to the bottom of these anomalies before something else happens."_

_All six forms saluted. "YES, SIR!"_

* * *

**GF-007**

**GrimmFall**

In the computer room of the Sparring Chamber, Akira was working on putting in these Legendary Warriors as per Valhallen's request. He was very interested in learning how they fought since they appeared to be not of this world as well. The undercover Coordinator hoped he could do something else besides the running of the systems, but so far, this was what he was needed for, so he had to accept it for now.

His golden eyes, hidden by his contacts, narrowed as he observed what was up. Akira worked on finishing entering in the new participants and looked over at Valhallen. "All set." He said as the Viking God of Rock nodded.

"Good. Just keep an eye on the red-armored one. He was the one who was attacked." Valhallen explained.

Akira looked back out and frowned to himself. _'So, he's the one that Jimmy kid attacked, huh? Yeah... I'll definitely keep an eye on him.'_ He thought. Then he replied to Valhallen. "Sure thing."

Valhallen nodded. "Good. Thanks, hacker-dude."

Akira looked back and gave a smirk. "No problem."

As soon as Valhallen left the room, Akira looked over everyone who was involved. _'So, we have these heroes, some from other dimensions, here to test their skills.'_ He mused with interest.

Akira put a hand to his chin in thought. "Maybe... if we have the chance, we could take these guys home?" It seemed possible, given how his unit and home universe had dimensional travel capabilities. However, Akira then frowned as he recalled the... 'tendency' of the Jump-Slip Drive.

_'Yeah... Maybe not, especially given how the drive can act... 'finicky' for the lack of a better term.'_ Akira mused as he shook his head. _'The last thing we need is for its 'tendency' to act up again and drop us off in a dimension that is not the target.'_

The Coordinator looked back out again as he sat in the chair. This would be interesting, he mused to himself.

* * *

**Van Kleiss's Lair**

Commander Lockheed ran down a corridor, relying on his Newtype senses to guide him to the _Steelhaven_. His green eyes were on alert for anything unusual that would stand out to him, but nothing seemed off or stood out. At least, it didn't at first, but when the SEED-type made his way down another corridor, he was surprised to see a locked door. Frowning, Commander Lockheed made his way over, only to see the keypad was password-protected.

Sighing, Commander Lockheed knew he was in for a bit of a tough time getting inside. He knelt down by the keypad, looking it over, but he frowned when he saw it also had a card reader and a fingerprint scanner, as well as some kind of scanner he could not identify.

Realizing he was at a roadblock, the commander reached for a pouch on his left leg, where explosives were held. Reaching inside, Commander Lockheed pulled out a small patch of C-4, fused with Energon for more explosive power. Looking at the door, the SEED-type stood up and made his way over to where the door was closed tight. Commander Lockheed placed the C-4 onto the door's latch area and armed it before stepping back. He ran and hid down another corridor before the C-4 beeped and exploded, sending debris and shrapnel as well as flames and heat down the hallway he had come from.

Commander Lockheed winced as the flames and heat passed by his flight suit and helmet, only to peer out when it died down. Sure enough, there was a hole for the commander to now open the door from.

The Natural ran out and to the door before forcing it open. It wasn't easy, but once the door was opened, Commander Lockheed could see the shape of the missing _Steelhaven_ before him. It looked intact, which was a good sign. Making his way over to the ship, the SEED-type found the entrance, which was still closed. _'Or was it opened before?'_ Commander Lockheed mused as he walked over. Thanks to the systems registering his ZSIDS chip in his back, the ramp came down automatically. Commander Lockheed ran inside, the ramp closing behind him. Now inside the _Steelhaven_, Commander Lockheed reached up and removed his helmet, revealing his face. "Now to find Ultra Magnus and the rest of his crew..." The commander mused to himself.

* * *

As for 1st Lt. Amalfi, he was working on trying to find the layout or plans of the base he had infiltrated. Safe to say though, it was not going so well. The Coordinator frowned as his search came up empty yet again. _'There's no layout or plans to this place.'_ 1st Lt. Amalfi thought with a frown. _'Is it possible there are none?'_

That made sense now that he thought about it. If one wanted to have a secret lair, then plans for it would not be shown or even stored in the base's systems to ward off intruders and potential saboteurs. _'But if that's the case, then there's no way I can find the machine and destroy it.'_

1st Lt. Amalfi didn't like not being able to complete the mission. However, without any plans of the base, or even its layout, then that was considered impossible. _'Slag it! If only I was a SEED-type or even had Newtype abilities! Then I could use it to possibly find the breech machine!'_ He thought angrily as he slammed a hand against the terminal's keyboard.

However, before he could do anything else, an alarm began to sound, making the Coordinator jump. _***"Slag it!"***_ 1st Lt. Amalfi swore before he turned and ran, trying to escape the lab. The first lieutenant made it out of the lab, just before the door slammed shut. Looking back, the SEED-user panted in relief. _'That was close...'_

Remembering that the _Steelhaven_ was somewhere in the base still, the Coordinator ran for it, trying to find the place where it was located. He reached up a hand to the side of his helmet. _"Commander, where are you?"_

There was silence for a moment before the signal came back. _"I'm on the _Steelhaven_. Why?"_

_"Can you guide me there? I kind of need a place to hide at the very least. I think we were found out."_ 1st Lt. Amalfi replied.

* * *

On the _Steelhaven_, Commander Lockheed groaned. _"Okay, just head for the exit. I will see if I can get the crew awake. That should allow them to escape and buy us time to get out of here."_

_"Okay. I can do that."_ Came the reply.

_"Tell me you at least managed to destroy the breech machine..."_ Commander Lockheed grumbled.

_"Ah... Not... exactly. Without a layout of the base or even plans for it, I couldn't find the machine's location."_ 1st Lt. Amalfi admitted.

Commander Lockheed sighed. _"Just slagging great."_ He then looked back at the unconscious and offline crew of the _Steelhaven_ before he spoke up again. _"Okay, here's the plan. Since you were found out, make it to your machine. I will see about finding and destroying the machine."_

* * *

The first lieutenant perked up at hearing that request. _"Are you sure?"_

_"Yes, I am."_ Commander Lockheed replied. _"I doubt this guy is using some simple power source. Whatever the source is, it is strong enough to even create dimensional breeches in our home universe despite our dimensional jamming tech, and I doubt whoever is behind this is working on it alone."_

_"So you think this is more than a single person operation?"_ 1st Lt. Amalfi asked as Commander Lockheed's voice sighed.

_"At this point, it can't be anything else."_ The SEED-type admitted.

The Coordinator pursed his lips at that thought. It did make sense for more than one person to be involved in this operation. _"Why do you want to do this though?"_

_"I sensed something else besides Ultra Magnus and the crew of the _Steelhaven_."_ Commander Lockheed said softly. _"That presence felt like it was filled with hate for someone, and I want to find out what, and who, it was."_

1st Lt. Amalfi frowned, but agreed. _"Okay. Let me get to my machine and then I can get inside. Where is the _Steelhaven_ located relative to the position of the entrance?"_

_"I will let you know when you are over the area."_ Commander Lockheed replied.

The Coordinator nodded. _"Okay. I'll let you know when I'm ready."_

* * *

**Yen Sid's Dimension**

_Yen Sid watched as a new sigil appeared on a screen, but this time it showed only a single badge. It was oddly similar to Zero Squadron's, but it had the letters 'GF' on it instead of the letter 'Z', and the whole thing lacked the symbol of the planetary organization behind it. This piqued his interest, making Yen Sid raise an eyebrow._

_"Now what is this about?" The old magician wondered as it then showed a group of six forms, two of which were human and four that were not. Behind those six were two more forms that were not human as well, and above them all was a shadowy image of a dragon that had twin green optics, but that was all that could be seen._

'How odd... I did not foresee this new dimension when I scoured the tomes and texts of my time for any leads on what could lead to the one peaceful future that is predicted to come about.'_ Yen Sid mused as he watched the exploits of this team. They seemed to be powerful, but what they could do here would be limited since their most powerful asset was sealed away and could only be unleashed when there was only pure Mana, and nothing that obstructed it, which the Dark Substance was._

_'_They will have a difficult time in this new dimension...'_ Yen Sid noted with a bit of sadness. However, this also gave him some hope because this was a new world, and it seemed that Zero Squadron arriving was indeed leading to new paths down the road._

'But the question is, is this a good thing or a bad thing...?'_ He thought with a bit of apprehension. Only time would tell it seemed._

* * *

**Old Mining Town**

Wing Saber rushed out, blade held over his head as he lunged for the form, which dodged to the side and drew out a sword of its own, but with a hilt it seemed. The flying Autobot grunted as he blocked the strike from the unknown form with his own blade, only to call out his second blade and attempt to slash at the form. The form leapt back and held its blade at the ready, but with two hands on the hilt.

Getting into his own stance, Wing Saber eyed the form, which was revealed to be Cybertronian. Whether it was an Autobot or Decepticon didn't matter to him. All that the front-line flier knew was that this form was from Cybertron and that it was attacking him. The two Transformers rushed at each other again, Wing Saber drawing back one blade, only for the form to bring up its own sword and block Wing Saber's attempted strike. _'So, this guy is trying to attack, huh?'_ Wing Saber noted mentally.

The form drew back a leg to kick at Wing Saber, who gasped at the sight before he jumped into the air, his engines going to keep him airborne as he flipped over the attempt to hit him in the gut, as the humans would say. However, Wing Saber was able to use the flip to bring down his left foot in a drop kick towards the form's upper torso, hitting the form on the left shoulder joint. The yelp of pain from the form was loud, and the _clang_ of the sword dropping was enough to wake Arcee, who came out of recharge. Getting to her feet, the pink femme peered out the open door, only for the last traces of recharge to vanish from her processor as she saw Wing Saber fighting against a form that she couldn't see very well; Wing Saber managed to kick the form back with his right foot, nailing the form right in the chest plating and sending it staggering back.

Panting, Wing Saber hovered back as he watched the form. Light was beginning to rise from the distant dawn, and Wing Saber narrowed his green optics as he eyed the form that was slowly becoming revealed in the newly rising dawn. The form was shades of green with yellow on it as well, and the face was similar to Arcee's, but different as well in that it was white while having the same blue optics. The build of this new Cybertronian was that of a mech's, and it was clear that there was an Autobot symbol on this mech too.

The mech frowned, with Wing Saber getting the feeling this mech was observing him as well. The mech was holding his left shoulder joint where he had been hit by Wing Saber's drop kick, his sword on the ground beside him. Wing Saber was pondering on what to do with this mech when he heard Arcee's gasp from behind him. "No way!" She then rushed towards the mech in shock and relief.

Wing Saber stared at her in confusion and worry. "Arcee?! What are you doing?!"

"Springer?!" Arcee didn't pay any attention to Wing Saber's warning, focusing in on the mech she was now in front of.

Wing Saber blinked as he watched the interaction between the two. _'Hold on... She _knows_ this mech?'_ He was surprised at the mech, Springer's, sudden look of recognition towards Arcee.

"Arcee?!" Springer grasped her in a hug with his good arm. "Thank the Allspark…"

"Hold on... You two know each other?" Wing Saber, getting the attention of Springer and Arcee.

Springer looked back up at Wing Saber, who was still hovering there, just a foot off the ground, at least in human height anyway. A frown crossed his face. "And why do you want to know? Who are you? And why was Arcee with you?"

Wing Saber sighed as he landed and put a hand behind his helm, rubbing it the way a human would with their hair. "It's a long story that you may or may not believe but that I swear is true."

* * *

**Ruins**

Cree was now stalking around looking for any sign of the invisible ship, but her Faunus senses were not able to pick up on where it was, despite her senses being superior to a human's own senses. However, that didn't mean she was going to quit looking. No, she was determined to find the ship, if not for Sammael, then for herself. _'Maybe these aliens can help me?'_ She shook her head. _'Nah... It's highly unlikely they will help me, a super criminal.'_

But what Cree did _not_ know was that these 'aliens' _would_ be able to help her, provided she did the same for them...

Creeping around, Cree then saw what looked like a tent, but it had something off about it; one side of it was up, and lead into... _nothing?!_ Getting closer ever so slightly, Cree could now see the tent's back led to what looked like a tunnel or some kind of tube that was mechanical in nature, and it had stairs inside it. But when she looked out at the tent's back, there was nothing there. Cree frowned before she then realized what it was. _'No way... T_hat's_ where the alien ship is?! I found it!'_

Running over to the tent that led to the ship's interior, Cree felt she had done the impossible. But she hadn't expected a small something to pick her presence up, or rather, a some_one_ instead...

* * *

Mu suddenly perked up as his Newtype senses went off, picking up a mental echo he had felt a few times before. He looked back from where he was on the ship, getting the attention of Heero and Leonardo, both of whom he had been talking with.

Leo noticed the look on the commander's face. "Is something wrong, Commander?"

"Yeah... I think we're about to have an infiltrator..." Mu said with a frown.

Heero tensed up. "And who is it?"

"From what I'm sensing, it may be that Cree Lincoln you told us about, Leo." Mu replied.

Heero and Leo both looked surprised. "WHAT?!"

Looking at each other, Heero and Leo realized they had both said the same thing at the same time, but for different reasons; Heero because he hadn't expected Cree to find the ship, and Leo because she was a criminal.

Shoving the weirdness of that moment aside, Heero was quick to regain control of the situation. "If that is the case, then we have to act. Commander, alert the captain and crew to have us go to Delta-Three."

"It's kind of a bit late for that, Heero." Mu said grimly, no pun intended. "She's already on board."

_"SLAGFIT!"_ Heero swore as he smacked the wall with a fist. He then regained his composure after a deep breath. "Very well. We'll just have to intercept her the way we are now."

Mu and Leo both nodded.

* * *

Heading down another hallway, Cree looked for _any_ signs of life. Of course, given how most of the Faceless Ones were out at the ruins, those signs of life were not looking very good. She sighed in exasperation. _'All I wanted was to find even _one_ Faceless One!'_

Turning to leave, Cree was suddenly alerted to the sound of footsteps, heard from a distance away thanks to her enhanced Faunus hearing. Her fox ears twitched as she listened carefully. Sure enough, she could hear the sound of someone, or something, coming her way.

Glancing back down the hallway, Cree could see a few forms coming her way, one of which was a Mobian in appearance. It was one of the Ninja Turtles, Leonardo from the looks of the blue headband and twin swords on the back of his shell.

However, the two forms that were behind him were in shadow, making Cree wonder if they were actually the Faceless Ones. Leonardo narrowed his covered eyes when he saw her. "I didn't expect to find _you_ on this ship, Cree."

Cree frowned and scoffed. "And what brings _you_ to this ship, Leonardo? Are you selling out your planet to some aliens who want to most likely take over the world?"

Leonardo frowned himself. "Says the one who works for Sammael." At his words, Cree's Faunus ears twitched, picking up the distinct sound of two guns being loaded and primed to fire at her. She could see two guns were indeed aimed at her, but again, the faces of the owners were hidden in shadow. Leonardo didn't even flinch, as both guns were aiming in front of him and over his shoulders instead of aiming at his back.

The Faunus was _very_ tempted to run for it, but she had the feeling the turtle Mobian had put his Semblance, Clone, to effective use.

"You have two options." A deeper voice, male sounding by the tone Cree noted, said. Looking back behind Leonardo, Cree's eyes went wide when she saw who it was that had spoken.

* * *

**Mining Town**

Springer frowned as soon as Wing Saber finished telling his side of the story. "You're right. I _don't_ believe you."

Wing Saber sighed in frustration. "I _know_ you don't, but I _swear_ it's 100% true."

Arcee was still at Springer's side, and the mech was not willing to let her go near Wing Saber, as evidenced by his arm out in front of her, sword held at the ready to attack the other Autobot in front of him.

"Tell me then, if what you say _is_ true, then where is your Prime?" Springer questioned. "Because if you truly _are_ a part of an elite team, then that would be the Prime's personal team."

Wing Saber growled. "What do you not understand about what I said?! I _specifically_ said we _don't_ have a Prime as our leader!"

Springer frowned again. "Then who _is_ your leader?"

Wing Saber groaned before he raised a hand to his helm. "Wing Saber to _Primarchial Defender_. I have a bit of a... hiccup in the mission to find the missing Prime."

Springer blinked, cocking his head to the side slightly as he heard Wing Saber say the name of a ship he had never heard of before. Then, to his shock, a small device on Wing Saber's frame activated, revealing it to be a projector of some kind. Up came a projection of a screen, showing a mech Springer had never seen before. This mech was white with a blue chest and red and gold accents. His helm was blue, and he had a blue visor with a white face, but under his visor were golden optics. Springer could sense this mech was a powerful leader, and one worthy of respect, perhaps even more than the Prime he himself currently served.

_"And what seems to be the problem, Wing Saber?"_ The mech's image asked.

Wing Saber pointed at Springer. "This guy here won't let me continue my search for their Prime with Arcee."

The mech looked at Springer with a calculating look in his visor-covered optics. _"And who are you?"_

"My designation is Springer." Springer replied, introducing himself to the mech.

_"I am Saber Convoy, the Supreme Commander of the Autobot forces, and leader of the Cybertronian Empire, but not the one who know."_ The new mech, Saber _Convoy,_ introduced.

"Hold on!" Springer held up his hands. "Are you saying this guy's story," He gestured at Wing Saber. "...is in fact true?!"

_"It is."_ Saber Convoy confirmed. Springer looked stunned. _"We are indeed from another dimension that was targeted for attack by this one."_

Springer glanced at Wing Saber in shock. He hadn't expected this to happen, let alone anyone to survive the crash of his former ship.

"Thanks, Chief." Wing Saber said as the image of the Convoy, not that Springer would ever get used to thinking that, nodded before the image winked out of existence, the projector on Wing Saber's frame shutting down.

Springer glanced at Wing Saber, feeling somewhat foolish now. "Wow... I... I guess I owe you an apology..."

Wing Saber waved it off. "It's cool."

"Cool?" Springer cocked his head to the side in confusion. "What does temperature have to do with the situation?"

Realizing his folly, Wing Saber sighed. "That's human slang. That phrase means "it's fine, no offense taken"." _'Guess this means I can't use the slang I am used to using back in our home dimension.'_

"Ah." Springer realized.

Looking at Arcee, Springer gave a sigh. "I suppose I owe you an apology too, Arcee."

Wing Saber then looked at Springer with suspicion himself. "Hold on... just _how_ can I be sure _you_ are a friend of Arcee's? You just showed up out of nowhere and attacked me!"

Springer froze. The look on his face said a lot, and most of it Wing Saber didn't like. The flying Autobot's frown only deepened, making Springer uneasy. "I..."

Arcee looked at Springer. "Springer?"

Here, the triple-changer sighed. "I was on the same ship Arcee was on. But before it crashed, I was... ejected."

"Were you now?" Wing Saber asked with suspicion in his voice as he folded his arms across his chest plating.

Arcee blinked. She hadn't expected Springer to have been ejected from the ship during the crash. "How were you ejected?"

"I was shoved into an escape pod." Springer replied before pointing over at where the pod sat off in the distance. "I've been hiding out here since."

Wing Saber walked over to the pod, only to see it did indeed have the tell-tale signs of an ejection for escape. "There's no denying the ejection charges went off. Those leave distinct marks on the metal shell of any escape pod." He noted as Arcee looked at Springer again. Wing Saber then looked back at Springer. "I guess you _were_ telling the truth."

* * *

**Unknown Dimension**

_The six forms were all assembled in the briefing room, mostly to prepare for what the dimension they were about to head into had in store for them. The Chief walked into the room. "Good to see you all came."_

_"We wouldn't think of dong anything else, sir." The squad leader replied, making the sword-wielder groan._

_"I can think of a few better things to be doing right now..." The sword-wielder muttered, earning a _SMACK_ from the knight._

_"We have more important duties to worry about at the moment!" The knight snapped as the winged form snickered._

_"He's got you there~!" The winged form teased, earning a cough from the Chief._

_"Boys..."_

_The foursome shut up as the two kids with them giggled to themselves._

_Satisfied at the results, the Chief went back to the matter at hand. "Now, we have found out this world has these unusual creatures, and thanks to the DTD, we can actually see this in real-time." Sure enough, the images showed many people, animal-like humans, and human-like animals fighting off these creatures, as well as each other at times, all while using what looked like Mana and odd powers._

_"Sir, what is going on with the inhabitants?" The young male asked as the Chief looked at him._

_"That's a good question." The Chief replied before looking back at the images on the screen behind him. "It would seem the inhabitants of this world can use powers, which we have heard are called Semblances, in conjunction with what we have learned is called Aura."_

_"So it's not Mana then." The lone female mused with a thoughtful look._

_"That's correct." The Chief confirmed._

_A frown appeared in the winged form's green eyes. "Sir, if I may ask, what about that human with the black and red eyes?"_

_The Chief frowned. "From what we can gather, which is not much unfortunately, that human appears to be what is known as a Fallen. But that is all we know at this moment."_

_The squad leader frowned as well, it showing clearly in his sapphire blue eyes. "If that is the case, then it would be for the best if we avoided these Fallen, yes? That would increase our chances of a successful mission by 18.76%."_

_"That's correct, Captain." The Chief replied._

_The sword-wielder frowned himself. "Something about that male human is sinister. I can sense it."_

_"Whatever the cause, for now, it is of the utmost importance you do not engage any of these Fallen." The Chief said. "Should you find yourselves in such a situation, I authorize you to get yourselves out of there in any way you can." He looked at the knight as he said this last part, indicating it was for him only._

_The knight nodded. "Of course."_

_The Chief gave a nod. "Good. For now, you are all dismissed. Report to the DTD tomorrow at 1000 hours. Your mission begins the moment you leave our dimension."_

_"So we're _not_ taking the Gundam Musai this time?" The young male form asked._

_"No, not this time. It would be best if you didn't, lest it be found out you are from another dimension." The Chief explained._

_The six forms nodded before leaving the briefing room._

* * *

**GF-007**

**GrimmFall**

Flay looked back at the Hall of Heroes, wondering how Akira was fairing. So far there hadn't been any issues, which seemed good. But her Newtype senses were telling her something was going tp happen soon, and she did not know what it was, or when that would occur.

* * *

In his office, Mayor Sebben frowned as he touched his eye patch. He had foreseen something coming, but what it was, that was unknown. It had been a golden color, with a total of 8 different forms, two of which were above six others, located above this golden form.

"Sir?" Callie Briggs asked. "Is it another one?"

"Yes, and this time I do not know what this means." Mayor Sebben admitted. "I just saw eight forms with a golden one below them, but that is all. There are no other visions regarding this group."

Or so it seemed. Mayor Sebben then suddenly gasped as he clutched at his eye patch, a slew of different futures coming at him, some of which involved this very group he had just foreseen coming.

When the onslaught ended, Mayor Sebben glanced up, panting heavily. _'I see... So this group _is_ involved somehow... But what does this mean? Why are so many different groups involved? Is this... somehow connected to the future everyone seeks, the peaceful one?'_

"Mayor Sebben?!" Callie asked in concern.

Mayor Sebben waved her off. "I am fine." He said as he stood up, still panting somewhat heavily. "It just takes a toll on my body when that happens. Nothing to be concerned about."

Sitting down in his chair, the mayor looked out of the window at the sky above his office. _'But if this group_ is_ part of the path to that future, then what will they bring for the present? And will Sammael find out about them? If so, what will he plan for them? So many questions, and so few answers...'_

* * *

In the cyberspace of the Hall of Heroes, a small, winged bat-like form with golden eyes sneered. Soon, he would be ready to strike, but for now, he would watch and wait to see what the next few fights were involving. Then he would make his move.

* * *

Major Glory walked towards Alex, noting right away the fight that was about to go down.

"I see Scotty is about to go on and fight." The major said as Alex looked back at him.

"Yeah, he is." The computer operator said before he turned back to watch the fight as well. "But I hope his opponent can hold out."

Major Glory frowned. He knew Agunimon had been willing to get in on the sparring, but not so soon after he had recovered from the poison that had almost killed him. "Yes." The major rumbled in agreement. "Although, I was hoping he would wait until he was more fully recovered before taking part in this."

Alex didn't even blink as he continued to look out at the battle getting ready to start. "Never underestimate an opponent, even if they seem weaker than the one they are fighting. Tiki Torch showed me that much."

"And Jimmy did as well." Major Glory pointed out.

There it was, a flinch, from Alex. Major Glory frowned at seeing that. "Tell me, what is it about that confrontation that is bothering you?"

* * *

For Akira, to hear Major Glory asking him what was bothering him was a surprise. He hadn't expected the major to actually want to know how a civilian employee felt about something like that. Finally, Akira sighed as he put his hands behind his head and looked up at the ceiling. "Just... the whole thing. That Jimmy kid was _extremely_ cunning. I will be honest, I haven't seen _anyone_ show that kind of cunning, not even... back where I come from..."

"Oh? And just what do you mean by that?" Major Glory asked, making Akira freeze up. _'Slag it!'_ He thought with alarm. _'Way to go, Akira... You almost exposed everything!'_

"Nothing really. I just mean I have not seen a kid as cunning as Jimmy, period." Akira clarified. It seemed to give Major Glory the answer he was seeking, as the man nodded his head in acceptance of Akira's words.

"I see. Well, what is it about that that is bothering you?" Major Glory pressed.

Akira sighed, realizing the major wanted a real answer, not just one that was speculative or philosophical. "The way that Jimmy kid planned out the attempted murder was _too_ well planned. He _knew_ what he was doing, ah... sir. A kid that age should _not_ be committing _murder_ of all things!"

_'Then again, the Extendeds were children who were trained to murder. One would expect me to be used to something like this based on that, but I think what makes this case in particular disturbing to me is the fact that this Jimmy kid was _not_ trained to kill anyone, and that he was doing this murder attempt of his own free will. The Extendeds did it as well, but only because they were trained to. That is what makes this so disturbing I think.'_ Akira thought as he looked down.

Major Glory cleared his throat. "Well, rest assured, Jimmy _will_ get what is coming to him with the charges he is facing."

Akira looked back at Major Glory, who continued speaking. "And I want to give you my personal thanks for saving Valhallen during that confrontation with Jimmy. You saved his life."

Akira just waved it off. "I did my job, nothing more."

But the major was insistent. "Nonsense! If you ever need any help with anything, I will do what I can to make it happen, as a way of saying thanks for saving a teammate of mine."

This surprised Akira. "No, really! It's fine! I don't need any thanks!"

Major Glory looked at Akira again. "Are you sure?"

Now pausing, Akira began to think. _'Actually... If I _did_ tale up the major on his offer... Maybe we could use that to our advantage...'_ Looking back up, Akira gave a smirk. "You know what? I think I will take you up on that offer."

Seeing the major's face light up at hearing that told Akira he had made the right choice. He smirked again, his Zero Squadron patch that he wore under his shirt gleaming before it faded again.

* * *

Mayor Sebben perked up, looking out the window of his office at the Hall of Heroes. _'Something is happening... But is it good or bad?'_ He didn't know, but he had the feeling it was the former instead of the latter, which could only bode well for their situation in this case. _'I hope...'_

* * *

**Dimension O-000**

Orga ran with the small bug into the main technology lab, panting slightly. One of the tech boys, a Coordinator called Saul Kessel, looked back. A former pilot for the unit, he was now one of their top tech experts when it came to computer programming and systems.

"What do you have there?" Saul asked as he walked over. Orga held out the small 'bee'.

"This thing... it's not a normal bee." The Enhanced panted. "It... was... was scanning me."

At once, Saul became alarmed and snatched the small 'bee' into a plastic baggie. "Let's move! This thing could be some kind of drone!"

Orga nodded and followed Saul into the main lab area, where all kinds of other devices were being studied or developed.

* * *

A half hour later, Saul was working through the coding with the ease that all Coordinators could tap into. "Wow... This thing is definitely a drone of some kind, and it does indeed have a scanning program that also transmits back what it has found to the source."

Orga frowned. "Is that bad?"

"It seems this program scans for anything unusual. As a former Extended, you lack the SEED and Newtype abilities, so that is the only good thing that was found when it scanned you." Saul replied. "And I am glad it didn't scan _me._" And it was true. Saul had been found to have the SEED Factor, although he had never tapped it during his time as a pilot for the elite Zero Squadron.

Organ winced at that. "Yeah? Well lucky me then, I guess..."

Saul knew Orga hated being reminded of his past as a victim of the now defunct Earth Alliance's policy for combating Coordinators using artificial enhancements on children, one of which had been Orga himself.

"Regardless, we can't take any chances with this bug. There may be others like it out there. We can only hope none of them scan a SEED user, Newtype, or even SEED-type." Saul continued. "We don't even know if this thing _can_ scan the SEED or Newtype markers in a person's DNA."

Orga sighed. "Well, what do we do then? Risk the thing scanning _you_?"

"No way." Saul grunted. "Not gonna happen."

But both were not aware that the bug was indeed scanning for anything unusual. However, unfortunately for the bug, and for Van Kleiss, the SEED Factor Saul possessed could **_not_** be scanned or transmitted back, because the markers were unknown of to even the famed EVO himself. All that was transmitted back was the fact that Saul had genetic enhancements that made him stronger than a human's normal body strength.

* * *

**GF-007**

Van Kleiss smirked as he saw the data from the black-haired, brown-eyed young man coming in. "Well, it seems we have a universe that can do genetic enhancement on their own bodies. Interesting..."

It was not that unusual for him to see such a thing, but in this case, it seemed to be a wide-spread practice. At least, it was done in such a way that the inhabitants could do it without any difficulties. "This will be a perfect fit for my robots..." Van Kleiss purred, not aware that the DNA of these people held more than just genetic enhancements, a trait that only the inhabitants could tap into.

* * *

**A new universe gets attracted to GF-007 while Akira takes up Major Glory on an offer. As that happens, Cree infiltrates the _Constitution_ and gets found out while Wing Saber and Arcee find a comrade of Arcee's as the two saboteurs to Van Kleiss's lair struggle to find the breech machine, but find the _Steelhaven_ in the process. What will happen next? Read on to find out~! :3 **


	8. Darkness of Deceit VIII

**Here is another chapter~! :3**

**D.N Works: Don't worry, they won't trust her right away. ;3**

**GCD: You will find out soon enough, just not yet. ;3**

**merendinoemiliano: Glad you like! :3**

**nightmaster000: Oh, the GF have not been aware for long, they only recently detected the anomalies, so they don't know about Crom or any of the other villains of the past. And you will see what happens next~! ;3**

**Lord Maximus: Well, what do you expect with this thing going around. XD**

**Note: If any readers have an account, then please review using your account please. If you are too lazy to log in, then at least leave your account name so I can know who you are. If any reader does not have an account, then at least use a **consistent** name when reviewing so I can respond in a more personal manner, as the name 'Guest' does not seem too personable to me.**

_***"Cybertronian"***_

* * *

**Unknown Dimension**

_The team had assembled in the desert, where a large contraption of some sort sat in wait, standing by to transmit the group to this new world. The lead scientist, who was no more than a boy, smiled at the team._

_"Well, it's about time you got here!" The boy remarked with a grin. "Are you ready to go?"_

_The squad leader gave a nod, as did the rest of his team._

_As soon as they stopped before the main platform, the head of the dimensional transport device team gave a nod. "Okay, I will be transporting you in groups of two, and I have picked randomly, so when I call your names step up and you will be sent to this new world. But be aware, you will most likely arrive in different locations since I can't get a fix on one location to send all of you."_

_The squad looked at each other in confusion, but nodded._

_"Okay, here we go!" The boy genius declared as he called out the first two names, which were those of the winged form and the sword wielder._

_"Aw man! I get stuck with the rookie?!" The sword-wielder moaned._

_"Hey, I ain't complaining." The winged form joked as he and the sword-wielder made their way to the platform first._

_"Good luck you two, as your location will be the city here." The boy genius noted before he entered in the command for the transport. "And... TRANSPORT!"_

_There was the crackling of electricity, and the two forms on the platform were turned into energy before streaming through the open portal. The next two were the young male form and the knight, with those two winding up in a wooded area, and the last two, the squad leader and the lone female of the group, went to a new location, one that had a giant robot fight going on in it._

_The Chief looked on as all three teams went to their assigned locations. "I hope they can find out the cause of all these anomalies..."_

_"Me too, sir." The boy genius replied. "Me too..."_

* * *

**GF-007**

In the Sparring Chamber, Akira was watching the fight, and he found himself glued to his seat, unable to turn away from it. Why? For one thing, he had just seen one of the combatants turn into a literal _dragon_ before engaging the Scotsman again, and the two seemed to be evenly matched. _'And this is the guy that suffered a severe stab wound to his side?! His power is _incredible!_'_

Akira was _sure_ that he, a Coordinator, wouldn't last a _second_ against one of these fighters. _'Now I know how outclassed we are...'_ He thought with a bit of awe, fear, and respect all at once. _'Good thing I'm recording these matches. Heero will want to know just _what_ we are up against here.'_

Looking down at where Major Glory was, Akira frowned to himself. _'But why do I get the feeling something concerning Major Glory is about to happen?'_ He mused. _'I'm not a Newtype, and I _know_ I don't have the genetic markers for those abilities, so then... why am I getting this feeling? Does it have to do with my SEED? But if that is the case, then why am I not getting that stabbing pain in my head from it reacting to danger?'_

"What is it that has me on edge...?" Akira wondered out loud, only to perk up when he heard the door open. He turned, only to see E-Male entering the room.

"So, you're still here?" E-Male mocked as Akira frowned at the question.

"Yeah, I'm running security, why?" Akira asked as he faced E-Male directly. "Do you have a problem with civilians?"

"Only those who don't work where they are supposed to." E-Male challenged. "I have _no_ idea what Major Glory was thinking when he started hiring _civilians_ to work in the Hall of Heroes, but they don't belong here."

Akira growled. _'This guy... his attitude really gets on my nerves, and that is saying something since I lived through a time were such thinking caused two wars that nearly wiped out the human race.'_ However, he didn't reveal that. "You know, your attitude needs some work."

E-Male looked a bit shocked that someone actually had the guts to say that to him. Akira gave a mental snort. _'And it's about time someone did.'_

"You don't know who you are dealing with, do you?" E-Male scoffed. "I am E-Male!"

"Yeah, I know. You're Japan's 'perfect upgrade of man'." Akira said. He had hacked into the main server to get the information on the heroes, not that Major Glory knew it. Sadly, it had been the public server, as Akira hadn't been able to find the more secure one yet. "You also happen to have a rivalry with Living Bullet for the title of 'Fastest Man Alive'."

E-Male scoffed. "I can see why the major hired you. You know your stuff with computers, but that still won't make you a hero."

"Who said I was in it to be a hero?" Akira shot back. "I am only doing this kind of work because I have to!"

"And why do you have to?" E-Male demanded.

Akira growled, keeping his mouth shut. He was not about to reveal the reason why, but he had to tell the hero _something_. "Let's just say I owe Major Glory, that leader of yours, a favor, and that this is the only way I can complete that favor." In truth, he was talking about Major Glory. _'Yeah, I know I _really_ don't owe the major a favor, but... He _did_ give me the chance to work here, and thus made my mission so much easier without realizing it. The least I can do is help him with this mysterious threat.'_

E-Male blinked, unsure of what to make of the comment, but he left, leaving Akira in peace for once. Leaning back in his seat, Akira sighed as he placed a hand on his head. He reached up and took out his contact lenses, revealing his golden eyes for the first time in a long while. The Coordinator looked back at his reflection in a darkened monitor; it showed a black-haired young man with unnaturally colored eyes, a golden color to be exact, and a scar running down one of his eyes.

Akira narrowed his eyes as he studied his reflection. _'But what can a Coordinator like myself do here against all of these heroes and Hunters who have all of these magnificent powers? I don't have any powers, and while my SEED/STAR Factor can be considered such, in truth, all I have are my genetic enhancements, my piloting skills, and my training under Heero Yuy. Here, my unit and I are just normal humans. Well, as normal as a Newtype like Flay can be.'_

His reflection remained the same before Akira sighed and looked away from the monitor. _'What is our purpose here? And will we ever find out?'_

* * *

Down in the Sparring Chamber, Flay had managed to get some time off early to come and see the spars. She could see Akira in the main computer control room and gave a small smile. _'You're confused, right, Aki'?'_ She thought to herself.

Flay picked up his emotions thanks to her Newtype senses, but that was forced from her mind as she turned to see the battle before her. Both fighters were evenly matched it seemed. Then, Flay perked up as she sensed a familiar presence, the mental echo reaching her mind. Flay looked to her side, only to see the same girl who had the greyish skin with blue hair, black leotard, dark blue cape, and blue eyes. _'This girl...'_ Flay noted as she narrowed her eyes slightly. _'Why do I sense these feelings from her? And what could be allowing me to pick up on her?'_

Slowly, Flay walked over and sat down next to the girl. "Um... Hello."

The girl looked at Flay, confused. "Who are you?"

"Just... someone who wanted to watch the matches." Flay replied. It was partially true; the other reason was up in the computer room.

"I see." The girl noted, observing Flay with a curious look.

"What's your name?" Flay asked.

"Raven." The girl, Raven, introduced. "And you?"

"Fiona Anderson." Flay replied, using her code name. "I work as a secretary to Mayor Sebben."

"Really?" Raven asked, narrowing her eyes slightly.

Flay felt a tenseness in the air that only she could pick up on. _'Crap... Is Raven using her powers on me?!'_

But before either could try to figure out what the other was doing, a sudden heat wave and flash of light made both girls look back, only for the light shields to come into play.

* * *

Akira gasped alarms began to blare. He looked at the heat readouts for the Sparring Chamber and his golden eyes went wide. "Oh slagit!" Akira swore before he began to activate the commands for the light shields. In seconds, the shields came up to protect the observers from the heat. Acting quickly, Akira then activated the heat-resistant glass that turned dark, shielding the control room from the intense heat.

"And of all the days to leave my flight suit back at the room..." Akira hissed, feeling sweat racing down his skin now. _'Okay, I know these guys have powers, but for their powers to reach _these_ levels... It's like fighting gods!'_

At least, to a normal human like him anyway it was like that. Chills raced down his spine despite the heat rising. _'This is _insane_!'_ Akira thought. _'How can these guys be so strong? Is this... what other dimensions hold? Powerful individuals that can reach this level of strength?'_

However, as the fight wore on, Akira could see how the two powerful fighters were pushing each other to their limits. But in the end, it was Scotty who won with a blast of icy energy. Upon seeing the temperature dropping, Akira sighed with relief, deactivating the heat-resistant glass and returning it to normal. Looking down, Akira saw his contact lenses had melted. "Ugh... great..." He muttered before reaching down and taking out a pair of sunglasses and putting them on. _'Well, at least I have a spare set of contacts in my room here.'_

Akira was _very_ impressed and slightly wary now of what the other dimensions held. _'Man... I hope Heero is grateful for the recordings and information I am getting.'_

* * *

**Van Kleiss's Lair**

Nicol reached the Neo Blitz after getting turned around a few times, and boarded his machine. Powering up the Gundam, the explosives and stealth expert closed the hatch as he had his machine stand up.

Taking to the air, the first lieutenant activated the scanner that would locate the ZSIDS chip that all pilots of Zero Squadron had implanted for ID and tracking purposes. The system picked up the chip of Commander Lockheed despite the jamming technique in place.

Flying down lower, 1st Lt. Amalfi got a lock on the signal and flew over a certain area. Doing a scan of the rock, the Coordinator frowned. There was no way he would be able to break through the thickness of it due to how thick it was. Reaching for his console, 1st Lt. Amalfi contacted Commander Lockheed.

_"Commander, I'm just over your location. However, due to the thickness of the rock, I can't get through to your position."_ The first lieutenant reported.

_"It's fine. I only need you to hover over the area."_ The commander replied.

_"Why?"_ Nicol asked in confusion.

_"It's so when the crew is awakened, we can find your machine's IFF and break through."_ Commander Lockheed explained.

Nicol frowned at that. _"But isn't there some kind of door where you are? Aren't you in a hanger of some kind?"_

A loud smacking sound from the console's com-line told the Coordinator his fellow pilot had just now remembered that fact. _"Hang on..."_ Commander Lockheed muttered.

There was silence for a few minutes before Commander Lockheed came back on the line. _"Yeah, there's a door. Can you see anything unusual?"_

_"No."_ 1st Lt. Amalfi replied. _"I just see rock."_

Silence reigned for a few moments before the commander spoke again. _"Okay... Can you pinpoint my location with your scanners?"_

_"Yeah, I have you on the scanners now."_ 1st Lt. Amalfi confirmed. _"Why?"_

_"The _Steelhaven_ is in front of the doors to the hanger with the engines facing it."_ Commander Lockheed replied. _"Your scanners should be able to penetrate the location if you use the radar in a focused pulse."_

_"Like echolocation!"_ The Coordinator realized. _"I can give it a try."_

_"Then do so!"_ Commander Lockheed exclaimed.

Nicol turned his focus to the radar function and began to alter the settings so that a single, focused pulse would be released. _"I hope this works..."_

* * *

**GrimmFall**

Kazemon couldn't believe that Agunimon had lost, even when he had reached his Fusion form. She was currently sitting with him in the rest area, the Warrior of Flame sprawled out on a bench with his head resting on her lap. There was no movement from the unconscious Digimon, but he didn't look like he was hurt.

The Warrior of Wind placed a hand on Agunimon's head, gently brushing her fingers through his wild blonde hair. A slight blush crossed her cheeks as she remembered Scotty's words to her. _"Tough boy you have."_ It was true Agunimon was a fearsome opponent, but... she didn't like him like that, did she?

A slight groan came from Agunimon's still form, making Kazemon look down. Sure enough, his head moved slightly as his eyes fluttered before slowly opening to reveal their blue color again. Kazemon gave a small smile. "It'a about time you woke up." She teased.

Turning his head, Agunimon found his gaze meeting Kazemon's face. The look of confusion on his face said it all; for some reason, Kazemon found it quite adorable, not that she would admit it of course. "Kazemon?"

Kazemon smiled again. "Yeah, it's me." She reassured him.

Realizing he was with the Warrior of Wind now instead of on the battlefield, the Warrior of Flame groaned. "I lost, didn't I?"

"Sadly, yes, you did." Kazemon replied.

"And after I gave it all I had too..." Agunimon sighed as he closed his eyes. "So much for that..."

Kazemon gave him a slight bop on the head, making him open his eyes again. "So it was just a test of strength then?" She teased with a smile.

Here Agunimon couldn't help but give a soft chuckle. "You could say that..."

Kazemon felt a slight blush cross her face at hearing her friend's chuckle. Something about it just made her feel... funny, like it was warm to her. She managed to hide her blush, or if Agunimon had seen it, either he didn't pay attention to it, or he was just ignoring it. That last thought sent all sorts of feelings racing through her, from anger and hurt, to relief.

The sound of footsteps made the two Digimon look over, only to see Scotty Blake approaching their location. The large Scotsman smiled at seeing his former opponent was awake. "Aye... Glad to see you awake now, laddy!" Scotty said as he reached where the two Warriors were. "You gave me a good run for me money in that wee bout back there."

"I still lost, though..." Agunimon groaned.

"Aye, but that's because I knew to fight smart, not with just sheer power." Scotty said as he pulled up a chair and sat down in it near the two Legendary Warriors. "You might have had the power, but you didn't fight smart." Here though, Scotty gained a big grin. "But imagine if you had! _I_ would be the one knocked out of the fight." He let out a hearty guffaw at his own exclamation.

Once Scotty settled down, he continued to speak. "You have potential, laddy. Potential to become one of the strongest here. And that ain't something I say lightly." Scotty grinned again. "All you need to do is just use this more." He tapped at his own head, right where his brain was. "_Then_ you will be a formidable opponent."

Agunimon blinked as he took in the information before he gave a small smile as he closed his blue eyes again. "I guess I should..."

Scotty gave a grin again. "Aye, that's the way to look at it, laddy." He then gave a teasing smirk. "And I think your girlfriend agrees."

It was amusing for the Scotsman to see Agunimon's face turn as red as his armor, with Kazemon trying to bury her own face into her hands. He gave a hearty bellow of laughter as he stood up and walked off, but not before he gave one last glance back over his shoulder at the Digimon he had fought. "You take care of her, laddy. She's one in a million for ye."

As soon as he said that, Scotty walked off.

* * *

Flay looked around, taking in the battle scene. She had seen sheer destruction before, but this only drove home that it was different here, as only _two_ beings here had done this, _without_ the use of a Mobile Suit.

_'Even _Wing Zero's Twin Buster Rifle_ causing the amount of destruction it does doesn't compare to this...'_ The SEED-type thought to herself, feeling a bit of fear at what she was seeing. _'Just_ two_ beings caused this much damage, and without the use of a Mobile Suit! Even a weak GM could cause this amount of damage, but that is only if there are at least three of them. These two fighters did this with _their own strength!_'_

Looking down at her seat, Flay couldn't help but shake. She felt nauseous, and her skin was clammy with sweat in addition to looking pale. _'C'mon... You're a member of the elite Zero Squadron, Flay! You should be _used to _this kind of thing! So... then... why? Why am I feeling this scared? Why am I feeling this fear?! What is causing it?!'_

However, deep down, she knew why. Flay knew why she was feeling this scared, and it wasn't just because of the power she had seen. On an instinctual level, Flay knew it was because she and the rest of Zero Squadron were not in their element here. Here, in this universe, lots of people had powers while they themselves did not. They were just normal humans here, normal humans who were weak in the power scale. If they didn't have their training and machines, all of Zero Squadron was weak, like insects that could easily be squashed.

_'What can we do here? Can we even _make_ a difference here? It's like... we don't have any strength to... We're just... insects to everyone else here...'_ Flay thought with fear.

However, she knew there was a reason that man Heero had told her and Aki' about had warned them about the Maius Three attack. And there was a reason why the unit was here. They just had to find it.

* * *

**Van Kleiss's Lair**

1st Lt. Amalfi sent out the pulse of radar waves from the Neo Blitz towards the cliff-face. He waited for a moment before a shape began to appear before him on the scanners. "Hey... I think I found it!" He exclaimed to himself.

Sure enough, there were hanger doors that could be seen in the side of the cliff, at least on his sensors anyway. _'Using camouflage generators to hide the doors _was_ ingenious, but not enough to prevent radar from finding this place using an echolocation rebound method.'_ The Coordinator mused to himself.

He then tapped his console. _"Commander, I found the doors."_

Commander Lockheed's response was immediate. _"You did?! Awesome!"_

_"Yeah, the echolocation rebound trick worked like a charm."_ The first lieutenant chuckled. He then aimed one of his machine's weapons at the door, the beam rifle to be exact. _"I should be able to blast through the doors with enough shots."_

_"Just don't waste the shots. We need this done in as few shots as possible."_ The commander warned.

1st Lt. Amalfi nodded. _"Right. I think I know how to do that."_ Focusing on the familiar feeling of fury, the stealth combat expert saw his brown SEED explode with a vertical red ring around it in his mind's eye, causing his pupils to shrink to mere pinpricks as his eyes glazed over. Now in SEED Mode, the first lieutenant could see the best place to shoot to bust open the hanger doors. The Coordinator narrowed his SEED-dilated eyes as the Neo Blitz's systems locked on to the weak points of the hanger doors. A few quick shots upon firing tore through the metal obstructions, allowing the Neo Blitz's pilot to then fly in close and begin to tear the doors open. Peering in through the opening, 1st Lt. Amalfi was able to see the form of the _Steelhaven_ in the darkness; it was hard to mistake the ship for something else, mostly because it had the Autobot sigil on the side that the pilot could see.

_"Commander, I got the doors open."_ The Coordinator reported. _"Should I remain or go and get your machine?"_

Commander Lockheed gave a response right away. _"If you could get my machine, that would be great."_

The first lieutenant gave a nod before flying away from the open doors. Finding the Bravo Raptor was not hard, and soon, Nicol was making his way back with the unmanned machine. Upon returning, 1st Lt. Amalfi flew into the opened doors and landed inside the hanger. The Neo Blitz made its way to the _Steelhaven_, the door opening the same way it did for Commander Lockheed. Upon entering the ship, the door closed behind the Neo Blitz. Commander Lockheed was waiting off to the side as the first lieutenant set down the Bravo Raptor so he could board his own machine.

Once inside the Raptor, Commander Lockheed looked at the Neo Blitz through his cockpit monitors. _"Okay, we just need to wake up the crew now."_

_"Why didn't you do it before?"_ The other pilot asked.

_"Ah... I... couldn't get up to their locations..."_ The commander muttered. _"The doors were jammed..."_

In the Neo Blitz, 1st Lt. Amalfi groaned before sighing. _"Alright... Let's see if we can get the doors opened..."_

The Raptor nodded.

* * *

**Mining Town**

Wing Saber was standing off to the side as Springer and Arcee got caught up on events in their lives. However, he himself had nothing to contribute to the conversation, so he was on guard-duty for the time being.

With Springer and Acree, the two were talking in whispers. "Are you sure this guy can be trusted, Arcee?" Springer hissed in a harsh whisper.

"I am." Arcee whispered back. "Wing Saber is a decent mech."

"I don't know…" Springer murmured, looking back at Wing Saber. "Something about him sets me on edge."

Arcee frowned. "What could possibly set you on edge about Wing Saber?"

"It has to do with the way he carries himself. It's like he hasn't seen war before." Springer replied.

Unbeknownst to the two talking Autobots, Wing Saber could hear their conversation since his audio receptors were turned to maximum sensitivity. He gave a short snort in response. _'Oh, sure. Go ahead and assume I haven't seen_ war.' Wing Saber mused to himself. Sure, he hadn't seen war like a civil war, but he _had_ seen combat, even if it was not against another Cybertronian. Another snort escaped the flying mech. _'Okay, so I_ have_ seen combat against the Decepticons, but that was not even a real war. It was just a skirmish. The real war was prevented by Saber Convoy.'_ Wing Saber mused again.

But before he could get lost in his thoughts again, Wing Saber's sensors pinged as his radar also acted up. Looking back, Wing Saber narrowed his green optics and zoomed in on the distance, only to see what looked like a large Grimm coming their way. Itw as one of those elephant-type Grimm. "Slag it..." Wing Saber hissed before he turned to face where Arcee and Springer were. He ran over to their location. "Hey! We need to move!"

Springer looked back at Wing Saber. "And why should we?" The Wrecker asked as Wing Saber came to a stop beside him. "What's the sudden urgency?"

"There's a large elephant-like creature coming our way." Wing Saber replied seriously. "It's black with white plating on its form and glowing red eyes."

Arcee gasped as Springer scoffed. "Sounds like something simple to handle."

Wing Saber gaped. "Are... What?! Are you _nuts_?!"

"I'm a Wrecker, and Wreckers _don't_ retreat!" Springer said with pride in his voice before he looked back at the direction Wing Saber had come from. Sure enough, there was the form of the Goliath Grimm that Wing Saber had seen earlier, and it was coming closer in a charge. Springer gained a smirk. "Heh... So _that's_ what we need to run from? I can take it easily."

With that, Springer ran towards the incoming Grimm as he pulled his sword and gun.

Wing Saber growled to himself. "Great..." He hissed.

Arcee looked at Wing Saber and tugged his hand. "Wing Saber?"

He turned to face her, seeing the pleading look on her facial plating.

"Please don't let anything happen to Springer! He's the only close friend I have left!" Arcee pleaded.

A sigh escaped Wing Saber. As much as he wanted to avoid helping Springer, as the mission was more important, his duty as an Autobot, as well as the oath he took when being assigned to Team Convoy, took precedence first and foremost. "Okay..."

Arcee's smile assured Wing Saber he was making the right choice. With that in his mind, the flying mech crouched down before jumping into the air and igniting his engines at the same time as he pushed off the ground and rocketed towards Springer and the Goliath Grimm.

As Wing Saber neared where the Goliath Grimm was, he could see Springer was having a _bit_ of trouble, with that emphasis on 'bit' being an exaggeration, as in reality, Springer was having _a lot_ of trouble.

The Wrecker was trying to slay the Grimm, but its hide was too thick for Springer's blade. As such, the Wrecker was trying to rely on his gun, but it wasn't enough and the energy blasts from the gun only annoyed the Goliath, which turned to attack Springer. It raised up its trunk before letting out a bellow, which was accompanied by sound waves that knocked Springer back with their sheer force. The Wrecker leader went rolling across the desert ground before slamming into a rock face with a groan.

Taking the initiative, Wing Saber flew up into the air well above the Goliath Grimm and aimed his hands, his fingers letting loose energy blasts as he also fired off a laser blast from the cockpit located on his back, just behind his head.

Springer looked up, surprised and angered to see Wing Saber interfering in his fight. "Hey! Back off! This is my fight!"

"You slagging afthead! This _isn't_ something you can take on alone!" Wing Saber snapped back.

Springer growled as he eyed Wing Saber as he flew down lower to a hover just in front of Springer himself. "What's the big idea!?"

"You _have_ to stop this!" Wing Saber insisted.

"Why?!" Springer snapped. "I can handle this myself! Watch!" With that, he turned and began to run at the Goliath Grimm again. As the Wrecker rushed at the Grimm, Wing Saber flew after him before passing by the surprised Springer.

"When I say stay out of this fight, I _mean_ **_stay out of it!_**" Wing Saber shouted. He flew at the Goliath, firing his hand guns as he did so. Wing Saber then called out one of his blades and began to slash at the Grimm's thick hide, actually doing some damage now. Thin tendrils of smoke wafted up from the wounds Wing Saber created, making the Goliath bellow in pain before it used its trunk to grab Wing Saber and toss him away from its body. Wing Saver grunted as he righted himself before he could hit a rock face, only to push off of it with his feet and fly right at the Grimm again. He flew up and aimed the cockpit cannon he had on his back at the Goliath before firing off a powerful burst of energy from it, blasting off a tusk of the Grimm.

The Grimm swung its trunk and knocked Wing Saber down to the ground, which made the flying mech grunt as he hit the ground on his back, hard. Springer, seeing Wing Saber was down, rushed in again and swung his sword at the Goliath, but the blade didn't penetrate the hide, much to his dismay.

Grunting, Wing Saber pushed himself to his feet and pushed off the ground, blasting past Springer and knocking the Goliath Grimm back with the force of the hit, which, given the Grimm's size, was _impressive_. WinG Saber knew he would be able to do such a thing because of his speed amplifying the force of his shove, not that Springer knew of it anyway.

Springer tried to rush at the Grimm again, but Wing Saber just spun around and kicked Springer away, much to the green and yellow mech's surprise. "W-What was that for?!"

"This thing is too strong for you!" Wing Saber snapped back without even glancing at Springer. "Just leave this thing to me!"

"Why?!" Springer finally demanded. "Are you some kind of superhero or something?!"

Instead of answering, Wing Saber then hovered up off the ground, still facing the Goliath, which was now getting back to its feet after being knocked down by Wing Saber's earlier impact against its body. Springer wanted to run past the flying mech, but there was an air around Wing Saber that kept him rooted in one spot.

"You want to know why you should leave this thing to me?" Wing Saber finally asked. "Well, allow me to show you why, and no, it is not because I have superpowers!"

"What do you mean?!" Springer shot back.

"Let me show you then!" Wing Saber snapped in response.

As soon as Wing Saber said that, his wings turned from a vertical position to a horizontal position. He them aimed his entire arsenal, missiles, guns, and his finger guns, at the Grimm that was now getting ready to charge at the two mechs. Wing Saber's optics flashed as he then gave a loud shout before his _entire_ arsenal fired at once. Springer gaped as he stared at the _sheer_ firepower the mech in front of him possessed. The slew of bullets, energy blasts, and missiles sped towards the Goliath Grimm, which tried to use its trumpet attack to destroy most of, if not all, of the ordinance flying at it.

However, by the time the attack was ready to fire off, the energy blasts reached the Grimm first, searing off the black fur and causing burns to the bony plating on its body. The Grimm trumpeted in pain and tried to charge, but the missiles hit its body head on at that point. Multiple large explosions were thrown up, the explosive warheads in the missiles igniting and causing the black fur to get burned off, and in a few cases, leaving _holes_ in the Grimm's body. Springer was staring in awe and shock at what he was seeing. However, Wing Saber was not done yet. He got out his twin blades and flew at the Grimm before he drew his blades back, the blades themselves crossed and held just over his head. He was so close to the Goliath's face, the Grimm couldn't even raise up its trunk to unleash its sound wave attack. Taking the chance, Wing Saber then slashed down with his twin blades, creating an X-shaped gash set on and _going **through**_ the bony plating of its face, just as Wing Saber pushed off of the Grimm and landed on the ground.

Thick smoke billowed up from the form of the Grimm before it's body fell down to the ground, fading as the smoke wafted into the sky.

Springer was gaping now, as he had _not_ expected _any_ mech to have _that much_ firepower or ordinance. "W-wha… H-how...?" That was all he could say.

Arcee was staring in shock as well, her hands in front of her mouth. "Meep…"

Putting his blades away, Wing Saber then turned to face both Springer and Arcee. "That... is what I meant."

* * *

**Ruins**

Cree was staring, not just at Leo, but the two _men_ behind her. Both of them wore the same suit the 'Faceless Ones' were wearing, but they each had their faces exposed now. They wore some kind of covering over their hair, with one man having dark blue eyes that seemed like the depths of space while the other man had nasty scars across his face and lighter blue eyes. Both men were aiming their guns at her, and while Cree knew she could try to escape, something told her these men were highly trained fighters, and with Leonardo around, it was not likely that she would escape without issues.

The fox Faunus realized she was trapped, and held up her hands in surrender. Leonardo nodded in approval. "Smart choice, Cree Lincoln."

Looking at the two men, namely the one with the scars on his face, Cree felt this odd... feeling from the older man. It was like he could read her like a book, which she found disconcerting to say the least.

"What do we do with her?" The man with the scars asked the younger man, revealing the younger was the leader of the team.

"Take her down to the brig. Make sure she is blindfolded so she can't see the layout of the ship. After that, I will try to gain information from her." The younger man replied, his tone of voice so cold, it sent shivers down Cree's spine. It was like the younger man wasn't even human, his voice was so emotionless. Cree accepted the blindfold, and as soon as Leo was leading her to the brig, the two men relaxed a bit.

Mu looked at Heero. "Did you really have to sound so emotionless?" He asked with a sweat-drop running down the side of his head.

"No, but it helps to show we will not mess around." Heero replied with a slight smirk.

The older man laughed at the admiral's quip. "Only you would retain that emotionless act, Yuy!" Mu exclaimed as he gave Heero a friendly slap on the back.

Heero chuckled as well before he went serious. "But I _do_ intend to get some information from Cree. And it would help if you were there too. I need your Newtype abilities for this."

Mu frowned at the request. "I don't know... Are you planning to torture her?"

Heero's eyes went icy, making Mu regret asking that. "Hey! I was just asking! I didn't mean you actually would! Geez! Calm down!"

The admiral closed his eyes and sighed. "I know you were just asking, but remember the three rules we have to follow. That includes torture. We are not allowed to gain information through inhumane methods, we cannot let lives be lost, and we must abide by the laws of the Geneva Conventions."

Mu nodded. "I know. I just had to make sure."

Heero gave a solemn nod. He knew why all too well himself, even if he wanted to forget it.

* * *

**GrimmFall**

A small portal opened as two forms fell out of it, landing in the trees and brush around GrimmFall Park. The first form groaned, having landed in a tree. "Ugh..." The winged form jumped down and landed, revealing itself to be a mainly white small Gundam-like robot that had navy blue accents on its body and red accents as well. On its back were twin wings, one per side, and the form had small winglets on its lower legs. There was a three-slatted faceplate that emitted a yellow light for each slat when the robot spoke. But what was odd about _this_ Gundam-like form was the fact that the eye screen had a sort of light greyish background and two green eyes that were like a human's.

Next to the winged Gundam was another Gundam, but this one was more ornate in armor design. The armor was mostly white, but there were red parts as well, like on the chest, shoulder guards, lower arm guards, the waist armor, and on the lower feet as well. On this robot's waist were twin katana sheaths, each holding a single katana. On the center of the robot's chest was a blue orb that had a Kanji in the center of it, and the faceplate had dual slats that lit up with a red color when it spoke. This robot had a green eye screen with two brown eyes that were like a human's in appearance as well.

"So, where are we?" The samurai-like Gundam asked in a deep male voice, but not as deep as Mayor Sebben's.

"No clue." The winged Gundam replied, revealing a higher pitched male voice, which was not as deep as the samurai Gundam's.

The two Gundams looked around, confused. "It looks like a park." The samurai Gundam noted "What do you make of this, Guneagle?"

The winged Gundam, now revealed to be named Guneagle, looked around again. "Yeah... It seems to be just that, Baku."

Bakunetsumaru, aka Baku to his teammates, grunted. "We should probably find a place to hide out for now."

"Yeah, we should." Guneagle agreed. "But where?"

Both Gundams crossed their arms and began to think of possible places to hide. "Hmmm..."

Then, Guneagle, being the deviant/devious prankster he was, had an idea cross his processor. "I think I got an idea on where we can hide!" He pointed at an old run-down cabin. Sure enough, no one was using it, and it seemed to be ignored by the park-goers.

Baku smirked. "So you finally used that creative processor of yours for something besides pranking I see."

Guneagle smacked his own eye screen and faceplate with his open hand before he sighed. "I don't need you to rub it in..." The two Gundam Force members ran to the old cabin to settle down for the time being.

* * *

**Mining Town**

Springer was wary of Wing Saber now. "H-how did you _do_ that?!"

"I am a member of Team Convoy for a reason, Springer." Wing Saber replied sternly. "Now, let me let you in on something. You might have crashed here, but you have _no_ idea what this world is like."

"So?" Springer countered. "You don't either, and nor does Arcee."

"But we _do_ have more experience than you with this world, so it would be best if you listen and _listen up **good**_, Wrecker!" Wing Saber hissed, his tone cold and stern now. "While we are looking for your Prime, _I_ am the one in charge here, **got it****?!**"

"Why?!" Springer challenged.

Wing Saber didn't even flinch. "Because, unlike you, I actually _care_ about completing this mission I was assigned, with _both_ of you alive by the time we get to your Prime! I do _not_ want to lose either of you, because you are _vital_ to your Prime's team, got it?!" The winged mech growled.

Springer actually backed down, much to Wing Saber's relief and Arcee's disbelief. "Yes, sir..."

Arcee looked at Wing Saber. "Do... Do you really mean that?"

"Mean what?" Wing Saber asked. "The part about you being vital to your Prime's team?"

"Well, yes, but also completing the mission." Arcee explained.

Wing Saber sighed. "Remember how I told you how I had a few missions where the teams I commanded didn't listen to me?"

Arcee nodded in response.

"Well, I do _not_ want to go through another loss of a team I am in command of, alright?" Wing Saber explained at last. "I have lost too many teammates before because they assumed they knew best when I actually had the intel and all."

Springer looked at Wing Saber, unsure of what to make of the mech now. On one servo, he was cocky and had an arrogant attitude, but on the other, he seemed to be a competent fighter and possibly a competent commander as well. _'Just who are you, Wing Saber? And what are you trying to do here...?'_

* * *

** Wing Saber and Springer battle a Goliath Grimm, with Wing Saber saving Springer and taking the Grimm down on his own with sheer firepower. At the same time, two newcomers arrive in GrimmFall and seek shelter in the park inside an old abandoned cabin while the sparring matches continue, and Agunimon loses his fight, only to wake up with Kazemon next to him. Meanwhile, Cree gets caught and learns that the 'Faceless Ones' are really humans of an elite combat unit as the lair of Van Kleiss is under attack by the two-man infiltration team about to liberate the captured _Steelhaven_. What will happen next? Read on to find out~! :3 **


	9. Darkness of Deceit IX

**Here is another chapter~! :3**

**D.N Works: Yep! That's the idea! :)**

**GCD: Well, the O-000 inhabitants don't have Aura or Semblances, and nor can the unlock those things, as it is not for them. I want to have them be the underdog here for a reason. ;)**

**merendinoemiliano: I will do what I can with that. :)**

**nightmaster000: Don't worry, you will see which groups have gone where soon enough. :3 As for Akira, if one is a part of Zero Squad and has seen as much combat as they have, yeah, a certain instinct can kick in if things get calm for too long. With the TF trio, in actuality, Wing Saber _does_ have combat skills and experience, just not against the Decepticons for millennia, as no Civil War took place. Rather, what he has is combat experience against alien races instead. True, he doesn't have the skill of his two companions, but when it comes to fighting against foreign species, that is what he has going for him. Springer and Arcee have fought Decepticons more often than alien races, so their experience in that field of combat is lacking.**

**Lord Maximus: Sadly, no Dark Axis will be appearing, at least as enemies anyway. ;)**

**Note: If any readers have an account, then please review using your account please. If you are too lazy to log in, then at least leave your account name so I can know who you are. If any reader does not have an account, then at least use a **consistent** name when reviewing so I can respond in a more personal manner, as the name 'Guest' does not seem too personable to me.**

_***"Cybertronian"***_

* * *

**Mining Town**

Springer eyed Wing Saber with apprehension. "Just _what_ are you doing here, anyway?"

Wing Saber looked back, confused. "Why do you want to know?"

"Because if what you said earlier is correct, you shouldn't have any need to be here in our universe." Springer replied. "You should be more focused on your universe instead of traipsing around other universes for the fun of it."

The flying mech walked up to Springer with a serious look on his face. "The reason my team is here, and by extension, me, is because my home universe was attacked by this one." Wing Saber replied seriously.

Springer looked surprised. "Your universe was attacked by this one?"

Wing Saber gave a solemn nod. "It was, and as such, we were drawn into conflict with this place."

Arcee gave a small frown. "But... couldn't you have just left this place alone, even if you were attacked?"

The flying mech gave the pink femme a glance back. "Look, it's not that simple. Even if we wanted to, we _can't_ ignore a serious dimensional threat. Attacks by three different dimensions has taught us that any time there is a dimensional breech, it is a sign of an incoming attack." Memories of the Maius Three attack came back to Wing Saber.

_-Flashback-_

**"It was just over six months ago when the dimensional breech opened in the colony of Maius Three."**

_"WHAT?!" Heero Yuy exclaimed in shock as he heard the news from President Patrick Zala and Prime Minister Helena Chang. "Maius Three has a breech of dimensional origins opening inside it?!"_

"It's true."_ President Zala replied grimly. _"Sadly, we don't know what this dimension wants, or what their capabilities are."

_Heero looked down, clenching a fist. Then he looked back up at the images of the Nexus Federation leaders. "My unit and I can get there quickest."_

"And how do you intend to do that? You're over three hours away by spacecraft."_ Prime Minister Chang noted._

_"Not if we activate the Jump-Slip Drive." Heero replied. "All it takes is a few minutes to activate the drive and head to an allied dimension before we jump back, close to Maius Three."_

_President Zala frowned. _"Are you sure you can do that? The slip you will need, D-3, is not that close to Maius Three."

_"Then we'll use D-1." Heero replied seriously._

_Prime Minister Chang looked back at President Zala, who sighed and nodded his approval. "_Very well. Slip D-1 is approved for use. Just do not remain there for too long, as that dimension is not yet an ally of ours."

_The admiral, Heero Yuy, nodded. "Yes, sir."_

**"After a Slip-Jump, where we travel to another dimension and then jump back to my home universe in a new spot, Zero Squadron, my dimension's main elite unit, arrived at the colony of Maius Three."**

_Arriving at Maius Three, Heero and the rest of Zero Squadron entered the colony, wearing their flight suits as they piloted their machines inside. Wing Zero's head looked around, trying to find the intruder that had come through the breech, at least in the main hanger anyway._

"Is there any sign of the intruder?"_ Nisha asked as he looked at Heero's image._

_"None." Heero noted. "It seems the hanger area is clear for now."_

_The twenty-two Gundams landed and powered down, allowing the pilots to each exit. Heero looked back at his fellow pilots. "Here's the plan." He began. "Shinn, Kira, Athrun, and myself will be the first unit in. Chris, Aki' Tao, Liz, and Nisha will follow. The rest of you remain here and guard the hanger."_

"Hold on! You want the rest of us to remain here?!"_ Cagalli demanded. _"Why?!"

_"It's because this intruder may get into the hanger section, or there may be enemy Mobile Suits that came through that breech." Heero shot back. "Because the two squadrons mentioned won't have their Gundams, it is up to you guys to fight off any potential enemy Mobile Suits."_

_Cagalli frowned, but had to relent. That made sense._

**"When the teams went inside, that was when the truth about how bad things were in the colony came out; somehow, the whole place had been covered in darkness and Zero Squadron had to rely on their night vision cameras as well as infra-red and thermal imaging to even see where people were."**

_Heero frowned as he looked around, seeing countless civilians still running to the colony shelters. Thankfully, that soon cleared up as the last of the civilians went into the shelters. The admiral approached one of the Nexus Federation Army's officers and tapped her shoulder. The officer, an ensign if her rank was anything to go by, jumped when she saw the form of Admiral Heero Yuy of ORB, nickname the Berserker of JOSH-A._

_"Admiral Yuy, sir!" The ensign saluted._

_"At ease." The admiral replied. "What's going on?"_

_"The colony's interior is completely covered in darkness." The ensign reported._

_Sure enough, Heero found he could barely see. Heck, he couldn't see at all to be exact; well, he wouldn't be able to if he wasn't using his thermal imaging sensors that were projecting the heat signatures of everyone onto his helmet's Heads-Up Display, or HUD for short. He frowned to himself. "So that means visual sight is out of the question."_

_"It would seem so, sir." The ensign sighed._

_Looking around again, Heero noticed something that seemed off. Somehow, there were forms in the darkness, but they didn't look human. Heero pulled out his submachine gun and aimed at the first form, firing off a 3 second burst of bullets before the form faded into darkness. Eyes glancing around, Heero could see several more forms that looks sort of like cyborgs, but they didn't have the usual heat signatures that indicated living flesh merged with mechanics. No, these forms were a cool, almost purple, color on the thermal images that he was shown on the HUD._

_"It would appear we have intruders in the colony." Heero said, making everyone assembled there look at him in confusion as well as shock._

_"b-But who would want to invade Maius Three?!" Another soldier, a Nexus Federation Air Force enlistee, stammered out._

_"No idea, but prepare for enclosed combat!" Heero ordered._

**"The cyborg-like beings attacked, but Zero Squadron was able to turn the tide against the invaders, thanks in part due to their training and special operations tactics and knowledge. But that was when the mastermind of the invasion showed up."**

_"What do you think you're doing?!"_

_Heero's head snapped up, seeing the female form hovering in the sky above him and his unit. His dark blue eyes narrowed as he took in her form. She was black in color, with glowing blue eyes that seemed to flare red in her angered state._

_Nisha aimed his machine gun and fired off a burst of rounds from it at the woman, who just dodged the shots by weaving in the air and cloaking the area around Zero Squadron in even more darkness. Nisha growled to himself. "Damn this slagging thing..."_

_"You're telling me." Chris agreed as he looked around, trying to see where the woman went. "We're completely encased in darkness, we can't see, and it would appear this intruder can manipulate the darkness to her advantage, like literally controlling it."_

_"No need to state the obvious." Nisha hissed, only for the woman's fist to come out from the shadows towards his face. Luckily, Nisha, being a Coordinator, was able to grab the wrist of the woman and pull her out of the shadows, kneeing her in the gut with his left leg while he drove an elbow into her back at the same time._

_The woman coughed from the dual blows, just as Nisha then threw her over his shoulder and to the ground._

_This mysterious woman staggered to her feet, just as the rest of the assembled Zero Squadron members got into fighting stances._

_"You don't have anything I seek. It seems it was a waste of time coming here and looking for ancient treasures." The woman growled._

_"Ancient treasures?" Akira questioned, raising an eyebrow._

_Instead of answering, the woman jumped into the air and the darkness began to recede as her robotic cyborg-like creations followed her into the air._

_"Wait! Get back here!" Shinn shouted as he fired on the woman's retreating form, but his shots went wide and missed her by a large margin. The dimensional breech that had been open wound up closing as soon as the woman, her darkness, and her servants entered it._

_Growling, Shinn punched the wall of the building he was closest to in frustration. "GAH! I can't believe she escaped!"_

_Heero frowned as he observed the breech closing. Luckily, his machine, Wing Zero, had been observing the battle due to its connection to its pilot being unique. "She may have escaped, but we have an idea of what dimension she is from now." Heero noted. "And that is where our hunt begins."_

_-Flashback Ends-_

Springer frowned. "So you took the attack personally?"

"My universe did, yeah." Wing Saber replied as he sighed. "But... given everything my universe went through, if you knew it yourselves, you wouldn't blame us for reacting the way we did, coming here to find the one responsible and all."

Springer frowned again. _'This guy... is not like what I expected. Is he making up that story, or is there more to what is going on here than we know?'_

He didn't know for sure, but he _was_ going to find out, one way or another.

* * *

**Ruins, _Constitution_**

Cree was led into a room with a mere table and two chairs but she refused to sit down. She simply stood in the corner, facing the wall and did not move as the door opened, showing Heero and Leo.

"Cree, it's time we talked." Leo stated, being the first to enter. "There is a lot you have to explain."

Cree didn't turn away from the wall.

"I'd prefer we do this here instead of having to call Sebben and take you to him to explain yourself." Leo pushed. "There is a good chance your sister will find out."

Cree narrowed her eyes as she turned and snarled at Leo. "And here thought you were the honorable one."

"So you know something about honor." Leo said smoothly as he sat down. "That wasn't something I would expect."

Cree turned away from the wall. "And what did you expect? Let me guess, going around with some fancy swords, preaching some useless lesson about how honor is the only important thing in life. Being above doing anything to survive, even it means getting yourself and your family killed." As she spoke the hostility in her voice grew.

"Is that how you justify working with Sammael? You ran away, abandoning your sister while you were at it. To me, the eldest of four brothers that is absolute worst one can do." Leo retorted.

"I am sure they all love you for it." Cree grumbled as she paced around the table. "Big loving brother of the stinkin year."

"This hostility only makes things worse for you, Cree. You can talk to me or you can talk to him." Leo gestured to Heero who hung back at the door. "They might not torture you like a certain someone might but you are still a prisoner."

"I have been a prisoner since I was a little girl." Cree retorted, stopping her pacing to glare at Leo. "And compared to that certain someone your threats barely even register as a problem for me. I am not too worried since he already slipped onto your ship once."

"So you know what would happen when we captured that Seer." Heero stated, crossing his arms. "Is that why you stayed close by?"

Cree turned away.

"Cree, this can go a lot easier if you just tell us what you know about Sammael." Leo said, starting to lose patience.

"You want to know what I know?" Cree asked rhetorically, facing them both now with a mocking smile. "Here's what I know: you should be as afraid of him as I am and you don't even know his power. He's stronger and more powerful than all of us combined. If the Emperor or King Ozric couldn't beat him what hope have you guys?"

Despite her angry rant Heero was mentally filing everything she said and knew the camera was recording their conversation.

"I have seen and done things that...I can't even believe a world like this can exist." Cree clenched her fists. "I knew it was going to be hard when I...Forget it, even if I talk I can't go back."

"When you what, Cree? When you abandoned your sister?" Leo pressed.

"I saved her!" Cree slammed her hands onto the table. "I saved her from being taken by the Satyra when we were kids and I kept her out of his sights until those aliens abducted her! You can slam the good brother act in my face all you want but I am the only reason she is still alive! You think being in the great GrimmFall is what kept her safe from him and the other Fallen out there that should have come after her in packs?!" She pointed a thumb to herself. "I am the only reason she made it out of that shack we used to call home. And I was smart enough to know I could never go back and I would never likely see her again."

"If that is true why did you come back to save her when she was abducted by the Gems?" Leo retorted. "You helped bring her back and you almost delivered her to Sammael. Do you even understand what would happen if she didn't escape?"

"You think I don't know?! I figured that out myself pretty fast when his goons ambushed us. You think it's so easy to judge me but you are just like Sebben, Glory and all the others deluded in thinking you can win. I was trying to keep her safe." Cree pulled away from the table. "Even if she thinks I simply just left her to fend for herself. And once the so-called goodies find out who you work that is it. No need for a reason, just capture or kill on sight."

"That is not the way we work, Cree. You will have your chance to explain yourself but if you let fear drive you than you are right that Sammael and the Fallen will win." Leo replied. "We can only stop them if we are truly united against them."

Cree threw an unimpressed look at the Mobian. "Pretty sure you are not the first to say something like that."

It was here that Heero spoke up. "You have one of several choices, Cree."

She looked back at the human before her. "What do you know? You don't know how strong Sammael is! Just give it up! He is too strong, even for you!"

"I think we got a good taste of his power when he appeared to take the False Gem from us." Heero countered. "True, we never saw him in action, but then again, when one sees him for the first time, they get all sorts of bad feelings."

"Then you should know you can't win against him." Cree spat.

Heero gave the Faunus a look. "If you think this world is bad, you try living in a world where genetically different humans waged war to the point of extinction, _twice_! And that does _not_ count interdimensional threats either."

Cree raised an eyebrow. "So? That's nothing compared to the Dark Substance, the Fallen, and the Grimm all at once. In the end, only the evil forces can win."

It was then that Heero walked up to Cree. "As I said, you have one of several choices."

"What does that have to do with what I said?" Cree demanded.

"Everything." Heero replied. "Because you could, 1.) Continue to work for Sammael and have him betray you in the end by killing your sister while you are seen as a criminal to be shot dead on sight, 2.) Continue to work for Sammael and have him keep his word but be seen as a criminal who needs to be shot dead on sight, 3.) You can pretend to work for Sammael and become a double agent only for him to find out and kill both you and your sister, 4.) Be a double agent and have him find out only to kill you while he takes your sister from you, or 5.) You can be a double agent and not have him find out."

Cree blinked before laughing at Heero's choices he presented to her. "Are you kidding me?! You are offering me _choices_?! Listen honey, when it comes to Sammael, there _are_ no choices."

"So you think it's all over then?" Heero asked, not even moving away from Cree's space.

"Honey, it's already over. You lost the moment Sammael got into your ship."

Heero just put down a tablet on the table in front of Cree. These are all potential scenarios that would have occurred had we not captured that Seer." He said as Cree looked at the scenarios before her. "Each one stood a chance of us being found out as humans, which Sammael does _not_ know about, as he is under the assumption we are aliens when we are actually not."

Cree picked up the tablet as Heero continued to speak. "Capturing that Seer prevented each scenario, which would have led to my home dimension being attacked and overrun, if not infected with that 'Dark Substance' as you call it."

The fox Faunus looked at the admiral. "How do you expect me to believe this is not a trick?"

Heero narrowed his eyes at her response. "So you think that I am lying."

"Yes, I do." Cree countered. "No one could predict the future unless they have the Gem of Sight or a Semblance that can predict the future!"

Leo then spoke up. "Well, the admiral here has something that allows such a thing to be possible, but as to what it is, that is not allowed to be discussed."

Cree just laughed again. "You are crazy!"

But instead of looking pissed off, Heero smirked. "You have to be in order to be a part of my unit."

Cree blinked as her laughter died in her throat. "You... are you serious?!"

Leo chuckled. "Believe me, one _has_ to be somewhat crazy to be in this unit."

Cree frowned at hearing that. "So why are you offering me some choices on what to do? You _are_ crazy to stand up to Sammael."

Here, Heero finally gave a real smirk. "If you help us, become our agent for Sammael so to speak, _we_ can help you protect your sister."

* * *

**GrimmFall**

In the Hall of Heroes, Akira was watching as things began to get underway for the next fight. _'So two darkness-wielding people are to battle next...'_ He mused as he remembered the darkness-manipulation abilities of that woman who had attacked Maius Three. Then, his eyes went wide beneath his sunglasses as he realized what this could mean. _'Wait! If I observe this battle, then maybe... I could learn a thing or two on what could weaken a wielder of darkness!'_

Akira set up the recording program on his computer, making sure to pay attention to the battle extremely closely. He was _not_ about to let this chance slip by.

* * *

Down in the stands, Flay was having similar thoughts as Akira, realizing that maybe her Newtype senses could detect how the darkness-wielders were tied to their powers. It seemed to be a mental control, so if she could focus her Newtype abilities on the users' mental states, she could figure out how to use that to their advantage.

The SEED-type made sure to concentrate on the girl, Raven. _'I hope this works...'_ Flay thought as she observed the match about to begin.

* * *

**Ruins, _Constitution_**

Cree was in shock. These guys were _offering_ to _help_ her protect her sister?! "W-what?! Why are you offering to help me protect my sister?! She is the-"

"Abigail Lincoln, the Candy Elemental." Heero said, surprising Cree.

"H-how did you know?!" Cree demanded as she grabbed Heero by his uniform jacket. "That is something that only a select few are supposed to know!"

Heero didn't even flinch at her glare. "We did some observing ourselves and learned that from the notes we gathered on this place so far. We also have an infiltration team located and on station in GrimmFall, and one of those two hacked into the local server database, only to send us that information." He replied. "It's obvious that Sammael wants your sister because of the fact she is an Elemental."

Cree let go of Heero's uniform jacket and stalked away towards the back of the room again. "So what? As long as I work for him, she is safe."

"Do you _really_ think Sammael will keep to his word when he has _killed_ previous Elementals in the past?" Heero snapped.

Cree froze, not even wanting to consider that possibility, but the way she tensed up told Heero she didn't really believe it herself. "He said he would leave her alone..." Her voice was thick with emotion, despite her obvious attempt to hide it.

"And yet you don't believe it yourself." Heero countered. "One of my unit members was able to pick up on your emotional state. You're lost and trapped, with no one to trust you because of who you work for. Isn't that right?"

Cree didn't even turn around to face him. "Like you would know..."

"It's true I don't know what you are going through." Heero admitted. "But, if you think about it, in the end, Sammael _will_ kill your sister, whether you want him to or not. It might not be now, but it _will_ happen."

Cree clenched her fists around her arms, not wanting to show any emotion towards this human, this... person... this... man... this... admiral.

Heero could see Cree was trying very hard to not show any emotion, trying to keep her emotions in check.

Despite his common sense telling him to stay back, despite his training telling him to stay on guard, Heero walked over to Cree and, despite his wariness of an attack, placed a hand on her shoulder in a comforting manner. Cree, shocked at this, whirled around and tried to punch Heero in the jaw, but the admiral caught her wrist and then made to punch her in retaliation.

Cree flinched as his fist flew towards her face, but Heero stopped his punch just mere centimeters from its target. Opening her eyes, Cree was shocked to see Heero had not punched her in the face. "W-wha…?"

"If I had wanted to, I _could have_ killed you." Heero clarified. "But, based on what you said, you were desperate for some way to protect your sister, and you truly love her."

Heero lowered his fist and released Cree's hand. "No one bothered to hear your side of the story, am I right?"

Cree looked down, hating how this man could read her like a book. "You should know..."

"True, I _could_ say that I know, but I want to hear it from _you_, just so we have the facts straight." Heero replied.

Cree sighed as she walked away again. "It's true. I _have_ found myself wanting to tell my side of the story, but... As I said, once word gets out who you work for, then that's it. If it's someone evil, then it's over. No one will listen to you, and it's either capture on sight or shoot dead on sight."

Heero then spoke up again. "We have a saying in our universe. '_Truth has two superficial perspectives: one told from one side, and the one told from the other. The true perspective comes from putting both together.'_ The people here only know _one side_ of the story, and that is the side your sister told. My unit has _your side_ of the story. Only by talking to your sister ourselves will we get the truth by putting both sides together."

Cree looked back at Heero. "That's... quite the deep saying."

"It happens to be true as well. You see, two of the wars in my universe dealt with telling lies and telling the truth. In the end, when both sides were put together, the truth came out and the wars were able to be ended, but the second war was the one where that _really_ held true." Heero replied.

Turning to face the admiral now, Cree spoke up again. "So you are offering me choices on what to do?"

"Yes. I am." Heero said seriously. "As I said, you have one of the five choices to go with. Unless you don't wish to. We will not force you to make a decision."

Cree looked at Heero seriously. "Just _how_ would you help protect my sister? And _how_ would I be a double agent for you?"

Hearing that, Heero smirked. "As I said, there is a team of two of my unit's members located in GrimmFall. They can keep an eye on your sister while she is there, and should the need arise, one of the two will go with her should she ever leave."

Cree looked surprised. "You would do that?"

"It's in the orders I sent to them a while back." Heero replied.

It seemed surprising to Cree that these guys were willing to hear her side of the story, and were also willing to help protect her sister by having an agent go with her if she should ever leave GrimmFall.

Still, she couldn't help but be wary of these guys anyway. "And say that comes about? How would you keep an eye on your agent?"

It was then Heero reached into his pocket and pulled out a small object, holding it up between his index finger and his thumb. "This is how."

Cree blinked at the sight of the small chip. "A computer chip?"

"This is the IDS, or Identification System chip for my unit." Heero explained. "With this, we can track our members anywhere they are, even if we are on assignment in an unknown dimension. What I mean by that is, as long as there is a satellite network in place in the dimension we are in, we can track our members out on the ground by tapping into those satellites located in that dimension. It has to be done from the ship, but it works."

"Can it work from your home dimension?" Cree asked.

"No. We can't track across dimensions with it." Heero replied. "That is what I meant when I said we have to do the tracking from the ship."

Cree nodded. "Okay... So, say my sister gets captured and your agent injured or killed. How will you find her then?"

Heero held up a small wire that looked like a human hair and extended from the chip's end. "This wire, which looks like a human hair and even fits through a pore like one, has recording equipment for audio sound and visual images inside it. As long as this wire is sticking out, it will record any information. So if our agent gets killed or injured, if your sister is kidnapped, we will be able to get an idea of where she is based on the audio of the conversation that occurs this will pick up."

Cree was impressed, despite not wanting to admit it. It even showed on her face, much to Heero's amusement.

She looked at the small chip. "And how will I be a double agent?"

Heero then set the small chip down on the table. "If you agree to be our agent inside Sammael's forces, this chip is how."

Hearing that, Cree was stunned. She looked up at the admiral. "Hold on... All I have to do is get this thing implanted into my body? That's it? No spy gadgets that will possibly expose me, nothing like that?"

"None of that will be needed." Heero said as he walked over to the other side of the table. "This chip records and transmits the information to our ship, as well as tracks the location of the user. It also monitors your vitals, so we will be able to tell if you are in distress."

Looking down, Cree was unsure of what to do now. On one hand, these guys could be lying, as the opportunity seemed too good to be true, but at the same time, it seemed far better than working for Sammael. She looked up at Heero, her eyes narrowing. "I don't know... This seems too good to be true."

"Yes, I suppose it does, doesn't it?" Heero replied as he turned away and walked a small distance away from Cree. "However," He continued as he looked back at her again. "We aren't asking for much. Unlike Sammael, we don't want anything from you except for your cooperation, and we won't force you into it either."

"Why? You could just as easily do that, you know." Cree countered.

"We _could_." Heero agreed. "But we _won't_, because we would be no better than Sammael if we did."

Cree smirked. "So if I say no, then what will you do?"

"Nothing." Heero replied. "It's up to you."

Cree looked like she had won, judging by the grin on her face, but Heero was quick to shoot it down. "But if you say no, we _will_ hunt you down and kill you. And need I remind you of your predicament right now? You are a wanted criminal who is forced to work with Sammael, a Fallen who _will_ kill your sister anyway despite his promise not to. And you _will_ be shot dead before you can explain your side of the story, a side only _we_ know."

Cree felt her excitement deflate at being reminded of her situation. "You play dirty, you know that?" She muttered with a dark look on her face.

"It's either you do this willingly, or we force you." Heero said. "Now, while we did agree to protect your sister if you became our agent, there _are_ some rules you have to abide by."

Cree sighed. "I _knew_ it sounded too good to be true..."

"One, and most vital, you are to _not_ reveal we are actually humans." Heero began. "Two, you are to keep quiet about our deal to protect your sister. Three, you are to send back all information pertaining to your sister and the other Elementals to us. This is so vital for your sister's protection. Four, if Sammael gets suspicious, you are to cease all such activities until his suspicion is off of you. And finally, five, you are to, if Sammael finds out about you being an agent for us, run right back to our ship. From there, we will jump back to my home dimension and fake your death in this universe."

Cree blinked. Those rules sounded reasonable to her. "I think I can do that."

Heero nodded. "Good to know."

Leo looked at Heero in shock. "Are you _serious?!_" He demanded. "She works for _Sammael!_"

"Yes, we know." Heero replied. "But you heard her story too."

Leo had to admit, the admiral did have a point. "That's true."

Heero then looked back at Cree. "I will warn you once. We _will_ be watching to see if you show any signs of betraying us."

Cree then realized the chip, if she accepted it, would work two-fold. It would not only give these guys the information they sought, but it would also alert them to if she planned to betray them. _'Oh, Glob...'_ She thought in alarm and amazement. _'These guys are _good_...'_

Heero then spoke up again. "So, you have 24 hours to think about our offer. I expect your answer by tomorrow. Someone will escort you back to your cell and bring you to my office tomorrow so I can hear your response."

With that, Heero grabbed the chip and stuffed it into his pocket, leaving the room as he did so. Leo was right behind him.

* * *

**GrimmFall**

Bakunetsumaru and Guneagle were in the old cabin, looking around. "It's not bad, but it could be better." Guneagle said as Baku just scoffed.

"It's not bad? It's a dump!" The Musha Gundam countered as he gestured around.

"At least it has furniture." Guneagle pointed out, pointing at said furniture. "And a working bathroom."

The samurai Gundam had to admit, that _was_ a good point, despite not liking the fact the cabin was run down.

"Okay, so you do have a point..." Baku grumbled.

Guneagle made his way over to the bed and plopped himself down on it. "I call dibs!"

Baku looked over. "Why do you get dibs? I thought there were two beds."

"Well, no..." Guneagle remarked. "Unless you want to share a bed, but given how we're both males, well..."

Upon hearing that, the red and white Gundam stormed over only to shove the younger Gundam off and to the floor. "For that, _you_ get the floor."

Guneagle groaned as he rubbed his backside. "That was mean, you know..."

The Musha Gundam gave a smirk in his brown eyes. "Says the one who tried to suggest we sleep in the same bed."

"Hey! I didn't mean it like _that!_" Guneagle whined.

Baku just chuckled. "Sure you didn't~!" He teased as the flying Gundam groaned.

* * *

**Van Kleiss's Lair**

In the _Steelhaven_'s hull, the Neo Blitz and the Raptor were working to awaken the crew. Or at least, the pilots were. 1st Lt. Amalfi looked back at the limp form of Ultra Magnus from the cameras of the Neo Blitz. The mech hadn't even reacted to the shove the Neo Blitz had given him. A frown crossed the Coordinator's face at the lack of a response. _"Do you think they're even alive?"_

Commander Lockheed gave a snort over the com-line. _"If they weren't alive, I wouldn't have been able to find the ship."_

The first lieutenant had to admit that was true. _"True..."_

_"Look, all that I know is that the crew is alive, but something must've knocked their systems offline for this long."_ Commander Lockheed continued.

_"But what can we do to wake them up?"_ 1st Lt. Amalfi asked.

A small sigh was heard from the SEED-type. _"That... I don't know..."_

It seemed the two of them were at an impasse. Growling, 1st Lt. Amalfi kicked his console in frustration. _"Of all the slagging times for both of us to forget the fucking method of waking a Cybertronian in Stasis, this is the worst one yet!"_

Commander Lockheed frowned at hearing that. It was true, he didn't remember the method that had been taught to them by Ratchet. _"It's not like we can just jolt them out of stasis, is it?"_

1st Lt. Amalfi perked up when he heard that. _"Maybe it is..."_

_"What do you mean?"_ The commander asked as his fellow pilot looked back at his Raptor with the head of the Neo Blitz.

_"Think about it."_ The Coordinator noted. _"The crew are mechanical life forms, right? What does machinery react to?"_

_"You're _NUTS!_"_ Commander Lockheed exclaimed, realizing what his fellow pilot was planning.

A chuckle escaped 1st Lt. Amalfi. _"We have to be in order to make it as a member of this unit."_

Commander Lockheed sighed, but he smiled nonetheless. _"Yeah, we're all certifiably insane."_

The first lieutenant then had the Neo Blitz grab a large power cable that was not hooked to anything vital system-wise and then proceeded to tear it free, leaving a sparking gap. The cable itself sparked as well. _"Well, here we go..."_ He murmured before holding the cable up to the form of Ultra Magnus. Then, contact.

* * *

**Mining Town**

Wing Saber was now recharging, with Arcee and Springer talking as he did so.

"So... what do you think, Springer?" Arcee asked. "Do you still not trust him?"

"Arcee, I don't know if we _can_ trust this Wing Saber." The Wrecker leader sighed. "I mean, he might be powerful yes, but he has _no_ experience in battle, and I mean _battle_."

"Well, the way he took down that Grimm said otherwise." Arcee pointed out.

Springer scoffed. "That was only because of his firepower."

Arcee frowned. "Why do you say that? I thought he had some skill."

"Having skill is not the same as having experience." Springer replied. "He has skill yes, but does he know how to apply said skill when actually fighting? Could he take another mech's life?"

The pink femme realized Springer had a point. Wing Saber _did_ seem somewhat naïve about some of the horrors of war.

Looking back at Wing Saber's sleeping form, Arcee frowned to herself. _'Just how old is Wing Saber? He looks too young to have any reason to be in the Autobots...'_

Springer saw where her gaze had gone and frowned as well. He could see Wing Saber's slight movements as he took in air to keep his systems cool, all while in recharge no less. "His body mimics the local lifeforms."

"Yeah... and I think it is because of the universe he is from." Arcee said.

To Arcee's surprise, Springer walked up to Wing Saber's sleeping form and began to poke at him. "There must be a glitch in his systems if he has to do this to keep his intakes moving."

As Springer poked Wing Saber's face, the consistent prodding began to get a response from the recharging mech.

Springer noticed that and grinned as he stopped his poking. "Maybe I can have a bit of fun with him." He mused as he resumed his poking.

Wing Saber grunted as he stirred, trying to ignore the poking, which now migrated to other parts of his body, including his wings. However, the flying mech was not moving around because of Springer's poking. No, it was something else, and just _what_ it was became evident as Springer poked the joints that connected Wing Saber's wings to his body.

Twin green optics flared as they came online suddenly and Wing Saber suddenly grabbed Springer's arm before flipping the Wrecker over his shoulder, making Springer yelp before he hit the ground. Wing Saber then drew out a blade and held it in the air before bringing it down towards Springer's neck. "Stay way from me!"

Springer gasped before he rolled out of the way of the blade, which impacted the ground. The Wrecker was sure the other mech was trying to kill him, so he got out his own blade and prepared to skewer Wing Saber through the torso. But Wing Saber dodged it by turning on his right foot so his chest plating was facing to the left, only to counter Springer's thrust with a round kick with his left leg. Springer went staggering back with a grunt, holding his torso from the blow.

"Okay, this mech clearly has a few screws loose!" Springer hissed as he prepared to get his gun out, but it was then Arcee noticed something off. Wing Saber's optics were online yes, but he didn't seem to have them focused on anything, or anyone for that matter. Wing Saber rushed at Springer before the Wrecker could attack, but Springer jumped back to avoid the blade aimed at his Spark Chamber.

It was then Arcee heard something else from Wing Saber. "Leave me alone!" Those words confused her before she realized he must be having some kind of a flashback or that he had to be trapped in a dreaming state.

"Wait!" She called out to Springer.

'What?! Can't you see I'm busy trying to stay alive here?!" Springer shot back.

"Wing Saber is not in control of his actions!" Arcee exclaimed. "He's just reacting to any sound he hears in his semi-recharging state!"

Springer looked surprised. "You mean he's not even awake?!"

"He is, but at the same time not." Arcee clarified. "I think Wing Saber's in some kind of flashback or he's trapped in a semi-dreaming state!"

The Wrecker leader grunted as he jumped back to avoid a blade slash at his neck. "So what do we do then? We just knock him out?!"

Arcee frowned. She had never seen this before, only heard of it from Ratchet and First Aid. In fact, it was considered a glitch that had to be repaired by removing part of the sufferer's processor. "We may have to..."

Springer snorted. "Great, and then we have to do what is the recommended repair for this glitch in the field? Not exactly what I expected to do, but it seems we have no choice." He then rushed at Wing Saber, blade drawn back to knock the flying mech out. However, Wing Saber, even in his semi-awake state, could sense the intent to knock him out and countered by drawing out his second blade and swinging it upwards, knocking Springer's own sword out of his hands. As soon as the blade went flying, Wing Saber's own swords disappeared and he then threw a punch towards Springer's face. The blow hit the Wrecker leader in the jaw, snapping his head to the right.

In response, Springer kicked out towards Wing Saber's gut, but the flying mech caught his kick. Springer was shocked, gaping as he tried to pull his leg free, but to no avail. Then, Wing Saber kicked out with his right leg, knocking Springer's other leg out from under him, only to grab the Wrecker by the waist and throw him away from his person.

Springer grunted as he landed on the ground and went rolling a few times before getting to his feet. "Ugh... Wow... That was some throw..." Springer narrowed his optics as Wing Saber rushed at him again. _'Is this what he is capable of? Some of these moves are advanced combat moves...'_

"I won't let you kill anyone else!" Wing Saber exclaimed. "I will end you myself, Blowback!"

Springer's optics went wide when he heard that from Wing Saber. _'Arcee was right! He is not aware of his actions!'_

However, hearing what Wing Saber had said caused Springer to rethink some things about the other mech.

Before Wing Saber could do anymore damage to Springer though, Arcee ran up and, using Springer's sword, swung the flat side of the blade against Wing Saber's helm, sending the mech to the ground with the blow. There was a grunt as he fell down, his optics no longer visible. Arcee panted as she handed the sword to Springer.

"Thanks..." Springer panted as he took his sword gratefully.

Arcee walked over to where Wing Saber lay on the ground, getting down and preparing to make sure he couldn't move so they could do the procedure, only for Wing Saber to groan as he sat up, rubbing at his helm. "Ow... Geez... My processor aches. What happened?"

Springer walked over. "You should be explaining that to _us_, because you attacked me while in a semi-recharging state."

Wing Saber looked confused. "What?"

"You weren't aware of your actions." Arcee added. "And you mentioned someone by the name of Blowback."

Hearing that name, Wing Saber gasped before he groaned in realization. "Don't tell me..."

"Tell you what?" Arcee asked.

Wing Saber just waved it off. "Never mind."

"So," Springer began as he crossed his arms, "What happened? Why were you attacking me, and who is Blowback?"

Wing Saber sighed. "I... had what is known as a... 'Past reboot'."

"Past reboot?" Springer and Arcee asked at the same time.

"Yeah. It's similar to what humans would call PTSD." Wing Saber clarified. "When in recharge, sometimes certain things will trigger it. I had an episode because something was hitting my armor all over my body, similar to when I fought a mech named Blowback. He used a Gatling gun on me, and I barely survived."

Springer suddenly looked down, shifting a foot uneasily. He had been poking Wing Saber for the fun of it, but if that had triggered this 'Past reboot', then who knew what else could trigger such episodes?

Arcee looked at Wing Saber. "There is a cure for it, you know."

Wing Saber gave a snort. "You mean the processor lobotomy? No thanks! That actually makes the episodes _worse_!"

"What?! How can you be so sure?" Arcee asked, surprised.

Springer looked at Wing Saber. "Yeah. It's recommended by Ratchet and First Aid to do that if such a thing happens."

Wing Saber looked at Springer. "Maybe your Ratchet would recommend it, but in my universe? It was touted as _the_ treatment for 'Past reboot' episodes until my universe's Ratchet found it did nothing to help and made the episodes worse. After a long study, he concluded that the best way for an episode to be handled was to just knock the sufferer out, or even just let them get through it."

Springer then looked down, avoiding optic contact with Wing Saber. "Um... Actually... I was... kind of... poking you... for the fun of it earlier..."

Wing Saber's green optics went wide. "What?!"

"Hey! I had no idea it would trigger a 'Past reboot' episode for you!" Springer countered in his own defense. "I was just curious as to what made you move in recharge to get air into your system and thought it was a glitch that could be fixed by pressing a button on your armor or body!"

"I take in air like a human because it's how Cybertronians in my universe keep air flowing through our systems while we recharge so we don't overheat during that time!" Wing Saber shot back.

Getting to his feet, Wing Saber gave a look to Springer. "Look, I understand why you were curious, but I would appreciate it if you would refrain from poking me while in recharge in the future. Next time, you might not be so lucky."

Springer nodded, feeling a bit bad now.

As Wing Saber walked off, Arcee and Springer could only look on after him, unsure of what to make of this new development.

* * *

** Cree finds herself being offered a chance to leave Sammael's employment, while a part of Wing Saber's past makes itself known during his recharge cycle after some explanation as to why he had arrived in GF-007. At the same time, the infiltrators into Van Kleiss's lair are about to wake the crew of the missing _Steelhaven_ as Baku and Guneagle argue over who gets the bed. What will happen next? Read on to find out~! :3 **


	10. Darkness of Deceit X

**Here is another chapter~! :3**

**D.N Works: Glad you enjoyed it. :)**

**GCD: Trust me, I have plans for Zero Squadron you will like. :3**

**merendinoemiliano: Glad you think so! :3**

**nightmaster000: Again, your reviews are so detailed, I love them! X3 Now, to answer. First, Akira and Flay won't make that mistake. And while the unit _is_ technically breaking the law, they don't have real backgrounds there. Everything is fake, from the IDs and personas they use, to any education and family records. So, should anyone try to look back past a certain year, they will find nothing exists. As for if the heroes can trust the, this is why Zero Squadron operates in the shadows, so they don't get found out before they are ready. Trust me, the unit knows they are walking a fine line. That is why they are trying to be as careful as they can. Second, I wanted to do that for some time. :3 Third, Cree's choice is a surprise~! ;3 Fourth, the two infiltrators will get the crew awake, which will also get Van Kleiss's attention. :3 And I am glad you liked the amusing dialogue. XD And you never know. I might do something with that. :3**

**Lord Maximus: **

**Titanic X: Glad you liked. :3**

**Note: If any readers have an account, then please review using your account please. If you are too lazy to log in, then at least leave your account name so I can know who you are. If any reader does not have an account, then at least use a **consistent** name when reviewing so I can respond in a more personal manner, as the name 'Guest' does not seem too personable to me.**

_***"Cybertronian"***_

* * *

**GrimmFall**

Guneagle sat on the old couch, trying to figure out what they were going to do now. As it was, he and Baku were without any information on this new world, and they couldn't just walk up and start asking questions. The flying Gundam put a hand to his chin in thought as Baku sat on the old bed, cleaning his twin katana as Guneagle tried to come up with the latest plan.

"So, any ideas?" Baku asked as he looked up from the sword he was cleaning.

"None." Guneagle sighed as he flopped back from the couch to the floor, which caused a loud _THUD_ to emit from the point where he landed on his back. "It's not like we can just go out and find a stack of books to read. We don't even know if they use the same languages here that we have back home."

Baku frowned behind his face mask. That was a valid point, he realized. "That is a good point."

Guneagle sighed again as he stared up at the ceiling of the old cabin. "So what do _you_ think we should do?"

Baku put a hand to his own chin in thought. "Hmmm..." He knew Captain would come up with a plan and calculate the percentages of each chance of success, but he was not the Gundam Force leader, so he had to figure it out on his own.

Silence reigned for a few moments before Baku spoke up. "I think we should wait until night to go out."

"Huh?" Guneagle looked back at the Musha Gundam in surprise. "Why then?"

"No one else is out at night, and if there are natives out, we should be able to avoid them since you have advanced sensors to detect things like that." Baku replied. "We should try to find outfits to disguise ourselves during that time as well."

Guneagle pointed at his own back. "Hello? Got wings here! It's not like I can remove them!"

Baku chuckled. "I know that. I meant something to cover our forms, like cloaks or capes of some kind."

The aerial combat specialist nodded. "Ah..."

But before either of them could speak next, Guneagle's radar suddenly went off as his sensors detected an unusual energy signature. "Ah, crap!"

The Blazing Samurai also tensed up as he picked up a chilled air he did not like. "I sense a pure evil nearby..."

Guneagle and Baku ran out the back door of the cabin towards the woods, coming to a stop and looking around a small clearing.

"Where is it?" Baku asked, looking around before Guneagle yelped and dove to the ground, shoving the Musha Gundam to the ground as well. "Ooof!"

The two heard what sounded like a shriek before a gust of wind passed over their helms. Guneagle looked up, seeing what the cause was. "What the hell?!"

Baku looked up as well, not used to hearing the younger Gundam swear; if Guneagle swore, then something was freaking him out. What the samurai saw was a black feathered form that had white bone-like plating on it with red accents, and had red eyes as well. The talons were a sharp black, as was the beak. The head was covered in the bone-like plating, like armor almost, and the thing was avian in nature. "What _is_ that...?" Baku murmured, feeling dread creeping down his spinal struts.

"That's the thing my sensors picked up!" Guneagle exclaimed. "But what is it?!"

"I do not know, but I can sense a deep evil coming from within that thing." Baku said as he stood up and drew out his twin katana from their sheaths.

Guneagle got to his feet as well. "Think I should take to the air?"

Baku pondered that idea. It was true Guneagle could handle that thing in the air no problem, but he had a limited fuel supply, so it was not ideal to have that happen unless his fuel could be refilled. However, given where they were at the moment, it was highly unlikely they could get the right kind of fuel at that point. Finally, the Musha Gundam shook his head. "No. I would rather we save that for only the most dire of circumstances."

The flying Gundam groaned, but accepted it. "Yeah, I guess that _is_ the best course of action at this point." He then looked up at the avian creature as it circled overhead. "But we have to find a way to beat that thing without my flight then."

"Yes, but it seems to dive down on us." Bakunetsumaru noted. "If we could catch it in one of its dives with either your beam rifle or my Tenkyouken, we might have a plan to beat it."

Guneagle grinned behind his faceplate. "Nice." Looking back up himself, Guneagle began to put his processors to work. He ran through everything he knew about air currents, wind speed, air density at different altitudes, and how fast that avian thing could fly based on what his sensors were picking up about its speed. Guneagle could get an idea of its flight path already just on a few parameters alone, those being the air currents and wind speed as well as the creature's own speed in general. "Okay, the thing seems to be turning southeast and is going to attempt to divebomb us again from that vector."

Bakunetsumaru still could not get used to the fact that the younger, more immature Gundam was able to do all of those complex calculations so quickly, but the older Musha Gundam knew that Guneagle was a part of the team for a reason.

"So, what do we do then?" Baku asked as Guneagle looked back at him.

"We wait." The flying Gundam replied. "As soon as it comes with in range, it will divebomb us, and that is when we will strike."

Baku nodded in approval of the plan. "I see. We take advantage of its weak spot."

Guneagle nodded. "Yeah, and that would be from above, so with that in mind, it's into the trees we go."

As soon as he said that, Guneagle began to climb up a tree and Baku leapt up into the tree next to the one Guneagle was in.

The large avian thing dove down, just as Guneagle had predicted. As soon as it dove down low, gliding over the ground looking for the two Gundams, Baku and Guneagle then leapt out of the trees. Taking aim with his beam rifle, Guneagle drew down his visor and got a lock on the large black thing. "Eat plasma!" The pink-colored beam sped out of the barrel of the rifle and hit the large bird thing in the back, causing a shriek of pain as smoke began to come out from its back wound. Guneagle saw that and narrowed his grass-green eyes at the sight. _'Okay, that's odd...'_ However, he shoved it aside for the moment. "NOW!"

At his cry, Bakunetsumaru was quick to react. Focusing on his spiritual energy, the Musha Gundam was able to concentrate just enough to call upon his own special ability. His green eye screens began to glow as his swords gleamed. His symbol on his chest began to glow as well. Arms held out to his sides, Bakunetsumaru began to move his swords in slow, hypnotic circles as an energy began to form the circles themselves. The circles, when finished, then merged into one larger circle as Baku's symbol appeared in the center when he pointed both his katana forwards. Rushing through the circle, Baku then came to a stop and leapt up. When he was in the air, Bakunetsumaru then slashed with both his katana, creating a fiery 'X'. "Tenkyouken!"

The fiery 'X' sped at the large avian thing, only cut through its back and wings. The 'X' exploded against the ground, just as the black avian form faded into thick smoke before hitting the ground. Baku and Guneagle landed on the ground, watching the form of their first enemy in this new world fading.

"Okay... That was weird." Baku noted as Guneagle nodded.

"Yeah... That thing became black smoke upon dying." The aerial Gundam agreed. "And what's even odder is the fact that it _bled_ smoke as well."

Baku frowned at that point. "I think we have to be more wary if we encounter any new forms like that avian one again."

Guneagle had to agree, even if he didn't like it.

* * *

**Ruins**

Heero sat in his office, looking at the tablet before him. It held all the information he and Leo had gotten from Cree. _'She said that Sammael is unbeatable.'_ Heero mused as he read the information. _'And yet, even if he is supposed to be, _no one_ is truly invincible. LOGOs thought they were, and they fell. The Titan universe's big bad thought that and fell. My old universe's Nazi rules assumed they were unbeatable, and yet they fell. And the 00 dimension's A-Laws assumed that as well. Hell, even _the 'False Prime'_ assumed he was unbeatable. Yet the same thing happened to him. He too fell.'_

The Enhanced leaned back into his chair. _'But...'_ The tablet also held information from Akira's latest transmission, which included video recordings of the fights he had witnessed this far. _'There are other dimensions out there... Others... that have _far_ more power than we do, and that is saying something, given what we currently have at our command.'_ His mind drifted towards WinG Zero, which wasn't that unusual. But he was really thinking about the SEED/STAR Factor and the Newtype abilities of his current home dimension.

Returning to the issue at hand, Heero picked up the tablet again. _'It seems these fighters can reach power levels beyond what we can handle. And... if what Akira sent me is correct, we are _far_ outmatched _and_ outclassed. Therefore, it is now more imperative than ever that we continue to operate from the shadows.'_

* * *

_'And then, and _only_ then, will we be able to make a difference here...'_

Cree sat in her cell, pondering what she had just been told. Here was a human, a mere, Aura-lacking and Semblance-lacking man, offering her the chance to leave Sammael's employment, only to become a double agent and send back information on the Elementals and any plans that the Majesty-class Fallen had in the works.

_'But how? How can he be so certain I will not just betray him? I mean, sure, he has that chip that would keep an eye on me, but even so, what's to stop me from revealing it to Sammael?'_ Cree thought as she frowned. And yet... something told her that it would _not_ be in her best interest to tell Sammael about the chip, or the true identities of these people. Cree didn't know what it was, but at the same time she got that unknown feeling telling her not to tell Sammael, she had another odd feeling fill her.

Reaching up, Cree touched where the symbol on her cell outfit was located. The symbol was a smooth golden metal, and it gleamed in the light of the cell's lights. And yet... it didn't seem like it was bright and harsh. No. True, it had that gleam to it, but when she looked at it more closely, it gave off a... calm feeling, like things were going to be okay. Maybe it was the wings on the symbol that gave it a sort of angelic look to it, maybe it was not. But whatever the reason, looking at the symbol, Cree could not help but feel like things were going to be alright.

Running her hand down the cool metal, Cree felt, against her will, a smile cross her lips, and a tugging at her heart. It was an odd feeling, but it made her feel something she hadn't felt in a long time, like she was, for the first time in years, truly _safe_...

* * *

Heero looked at the image of Cree in her cell. _'Maybe it's time we get more information. And I know just who can do that...'_ His hand drifted over to an image, which was enlarged to show it was General Allen herself.

* * *

**Van Kleiss's Lair**

As soon as the sparking cable made contact with the side of Ultra Magnus, there was a sudden surge of electricity flowing into the mech's systems. His entire body frame jolted before twin blue optics flared into existence. The surge of electricity canceling out threw the Neo Blitz and the cable back, leaving Ultra Magnus panting as he lay there, regaining his sense of awareness.

When he had regained some sense of the world, Ultra Magnus looked back as he sat up, his systems searing with pain from the impromptu awakening he had received. His blue optics landed on the slightly smoldering form of the Neo Blitz, which was still intact, albeit with a bit of soot on its frame. In the cockpit of the Neo Blitz, 1st Lt. Amalfi was a bit dazed, but thanks to the EMP surge protection his machine had, it was still functional, and he himself was unharmed.

"1st Lt. Amalfi? Commander Lockheed?" Ultra Magnus asked, making both Gundams' heads turn to face him.

_"Yeah, it's us."_ Commander Lockheed replied as he had the Raptor stand up and walk over to Ultra Magnus.

_"Ugh... Note to self, _never_ use cables as an impromptu device for bringing a mech out of stasis lock again..."_ 1st Lt. Amalfi groaned as he had the Neo Blitz stand up as well.

Ultra Magnus had to scoff at the remark from the Coordinator. "And yet you do worse on multiple occasions, so how is what you did to awaken me any different?"

Commander Lockheed had to laugh at that, because it was true.

1st Lt. Amalfi sighed at the responses to his remark.

* * *

**Ruins, _Constitution_**

Cree was sitting in a comfy looking chair as a recording tablet was placed in front of her and Mackenzie Allen pressed the record button. She had been brought down to this room, which was the ship's lounge, for information gathering purposes apparently.

"Please state your name for the record." She asked politely.

"Cree Lincoln." The fox Faunus answered truthfully.

"This recording's purpose is for you to tell your story of how you came to be in the employment of the Fallen Sammael. Start any time you wish." Allen stated.

Cree took a deep breath. "All right. It all started during my childhood, after my family fled here from the territory disputes in France. The kingdom of Rodigan was trying to expand and take over the entire country again like they did after the Burning of Paris."

Heero made a note to look into the Burning of Paris, as did most of those listening.

"France was broken into two smaller countries with Rodigan trying to annex more territories as the year went by and it caused a lot wars since then. France managed to retain half of its original territory in New Paris but every now and then Rodigan would try to annex more territories for itself. A lot of people couldn't take it, my family included. We immigrated to America when I was a year old and to avoid being sent back we took refuge in a village in the Twisted Forest." Cree continued.

"The Twisted Forest?" Allen questioned.

"It's a forest in the Wilds in between GrimmFall and the Darklands. There's some ancient ruins there that are deemed off limits to archaeologists because its considered sacred ground. It's also close to Mount. Blackhead and a special tree that is said to have kept the forest safe from the Grimm." Cree answered and waited to be given the go ahead to continue. "There was just me, my mama, my papa and my elder brother. Things were quite after we moved in but nothing ever stayed the same. The village we were in was a Faunus and Mobian community and it often got visited by people from Satyra, looking for new recruits."

"The Satyra recruited people from your village?" Allen quickly questioned.

"They preferred to recruit by choice but their message...A lot of the families there were refuges and a lot of them were scared and angry. My brother being one of them." Cree frowned. "He started to believe in them and what they preached. Papa told him to stay away from them but my brother believed the Satyra was formed in response to people like the ones from Rodigan."

"And what about you?"

"I was a little girl who didn't have a clue about the world around me. All I cared about was playing hide and seek in the forests around our home with my mama. Eventually when those guys from Satyra started offering for people to sign up my brother took it. He left the house with papa shouting at his back." Cree shook her head. "That's the last I saw of him for a long time."

"I see. What about your sister?" Allen gently asked.

"At first I didn't think I was going to have a sister. I learned about her when I snuck out one night to find this so-called magical tree that lived on Mt. Blackhead. When I found it I was shocked to see it was not only real it could actually talk. I am not joking here, it's alive and talks." Cree remarked.

"No one's going to believe you are joking." Allen gently said.

"At least until you see this tree for yourself." Cree smirked but continued. "The tree offered to show me its magic by letting ask it three questions and so I did. I asked it if I would ever leave the Twisted Forest, it said yes. I asked it how and when, it said I would leave on the day...the earth swallowed up my home when my sister revealed her true self. I didn't believe it because I didn't have a sister at the time but when I got home my mama told me she was pregnant."

"Your sister's true self as in the Candy Elemental." Allen stated.

"Yep. I went back to the tree after that, asking it three questions whenever I was there and it answered each one. I asked it what she was, it told me she was the guardian of the building blocks of life. Candy may be the official name but that's just because of what can be created. The Elementals are the powers over life itself, able to create life or destroy it." Cree continued. "I asked when she would show her true self and it answered...On the day I betrayed her." Cree's face showed a saddened look that she quickly covered up. "After that my brother finally came home and he somehow knew Abby was the Candy Elemental. He wanted her join Satyra but I turned him away. He found out because he had gone to see the same magical tree I was and it answered his questions, not caring that it might get my sister forced into a gang of terrorists. When I confronted the tree about it I asked my final questions: where can I find a safe my place for my sister, how do I find them, who will come after her and who were they working for?"

"And it pointed you to GrimmFall?" Allen asked.

"It pointed me to the home of the Ice Elemental that my sister saw in a vision, telling me to ask about a boy standing in the snow. The people after her were servants of the Dark One and you already know who the Dark One is." Cree answered. "I asked it my final question: where do I find him?"

"Why did you go after him?"

"To kill him." Cree scoffed. "I didn't know what he really was back then. Instead of killing me he offered me a choice, help him and he would spare my sister. So I agreed and I was left working for him ever since."

"Why spare you?"

"He's been putting together a special group to carry out his plans where Grimm and even other Fallen can't help. A group of Humans, Faunus and Mobians who pretty much got the short end of the stick we call life. He calls this group the Invisible Hand." Cree answered.

"Do you know the members?"

"The Invisible Hand is meant to be composed of teams, a total number of five teams for each finger and thumb on a hand. I only know of Team JJIBA, Team KLAW and Team DWMM, all composed of very dangerous people and then there's Sammael's right hand, a Fallen named Moloch." Cree shuddered. "At least I am sure he is a Fallen of some kind."

"What's special about this one?"

"Moloch is Sammael's top spy and scout. He's able to appear just about almost anywhere at anytime and he's very good at finding things out. Not only that but he's a master of psychological warfare, knowing how to get in someone's head, making them hate themselves to the point of near suicide. He's a sadist at that and he knows it." Cree explained. "Moloch is the Fallen's scout while General Skarr is their current tactician because he's an expert in military tactics. I wouldn't be surprised if either of them has been sent to track me down by now."

"Is this General Starr a high ranking member?"

"Close. He started out as a newborn Fallen but he's now what they call a Noble class Fallen, meaning he's just started to master his powers. He relies more on his military training." Cree answered.

"How many Fallen ranks are there?"

Cree held up three fingers. "Three: Newborn, Noble and Majesty. Guess which one Sammael falls under."

"Are there any other notable members of this Invisible Hand?"

"Yeah. A former member of the military force in Canada before it disbanded and reformed into their home based defence force, Chef Hatchet. Don't know his story but Sammael made him my own trainer along with a few other kids who were recruited like me. Sammael is still working to create two more special teams for his Invisible Hand." Cree stated.

"And when these two teams are assembled?"

"Sammael will be ready to go after the Huntsmen Academies. Those are his main targets and he'll use Satyra, the League of Super Criminals and anyone else to destroy them to get what he wants." Cree said, clenching a fist.

"And why are these academies targets?"

"Because they are where most of the Spiral Gems are hidden and protected."

Allen nodded and then cut off the recording. "Okay, thank you for the information, Cree."

Cree blinked. "So that's it?"

"Yep. No torture, nothing of that nature." Allen replied. "This information you gave us willingly, so it is fine. However, we will be looking into some of it to verify if it is true, not that we doubt you." She gave a look at Commander la Flaga, whom had been there to make sure everything told was the truth.

The commander gave a smirk. "She was indeed being honest in everything she said."

Allen nodded. "Well, we will still verify the information, just to be sure we got it correct."

Cree was led out and back to her cell by Rear Admiral Joule, just as Heero walked up. Allen handed him the tablet. "Gonna look up some certain information?"

"You know it." Admiral Yuy replied.

* * *

In his quarters, Heero was looking at the information on the tablet before he accessed the SkyWeb using their remote server access point they had set up on the ships they were using. Once connected, Heero typed in 'Burning of Paris', and up came several articles on the incident.

Clicking on the first one, Heero's eyes went wide as he read up on it. _'What the... A _Minster of Justice_ burned the city of Paris to the ground, on the belief that any who used Semblances, Aura, or Dust was a demonic entity?!"_ Heero groaned as he placed his head in his hands and sighed as he rubbed the sides of his head. _'If I wasn't used to this kind of odd stuff happening, I would be assuming I was going crazy right now...'_

Removing his hands from his head, Heero looked back at the information he had found again. "It seems we have to be wary of those who hate the supernatural, as we have what could be considered that with our Newtype and SEED-type members."

However, as Heero continued to read over the information, he was intrigued by a few things. One of those things was the mention of this Slime Elemental. _'Hmm... Well, it would appear there is more than one Elemental...'_ Heero noted, making a mental note to send Akira new orders to look for anyone that might be this Slime Elemental. _'If what Cree mentioned is correct, and if what we read online is correct, then we can assume the Elementals can sense each other. If Abigail is in GrimmFall, then it stands to reason the other Elementals would possibly be around her, but I cannot be too sure. If that is indeed the case, then we can find the Ice Elemental as well. Cree mentioned dropping off her sister at the home of the Ice Elemental, so I doubt the two would be apart from each other.'_

Heero leaned back and pondered this before deciding to send the new orders to Akira.

* * *

**GrimmFall**

In the Hall of Heroes, Akira perked up as his laptop beeped. He looked over and saw there was a signal from the _Constitution_. The signal pulsed in Morse Code, which told Akira his new orders. _'Huh... So I am to find this Ice Elemental? That shouldn't be too hard.'_ He remembered a young boy that had seemingly conjured up an icy flame of some sort during that last fight before the current one. _'And I think I know who it is.'_

He looked back out to see that same boy sitting with whom he knew now was the Candy Elemental. _'Yeah, that has to be him. At least, I think it is...'_ Akira's eyes narrowed slightly. _'I will have to keep an eye on that kid and his friends. If what Heero suspects is true, then at least one more of them will be an Elemental, but I will have to wait to see for myself before I send back confirmation.'_

Leaning back in his chair, Akira's golden eyes, hidden by his sunglasses, narrowed as he watched the newest fighters prepare to engage in combat. Grunting once, the Coordinator turned his attention to the systems, noting that things seemed fine for the time being. Still, Akira didn't let his guard down. He was not about to ignore the systems for anything, even if the fights could get intense and nail-biting.

* * *

In the park, Guneagle was looking around the battle site where he and Baku had slain that giant avian bird thing. "Okay... I don't see a body anywhere around here."

Baku frowned behind his face plate. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I am picking up nothing of that size in my radar's range." Guneagle explained. "I'm telling you, that thing disintegrated into nothing but black smoke!"

"I know that! I saw it myself!" Baku snapped back. The Musha then sighed. "I just wanted to check to make sure we weren't seeing things."

Guneagle groaned as he flopped back onto the ground. "I cant believe it! Our first foe here, and it doesn't even leave behind a body! What's next?! A human that has purplish veins?!"

Baku was about to chide Guneagle for that outburst when he suddenly stopped before the words even left his vocalizer. He whipped his helm around, as if sensing an evil presence. "Hold it!"

Guneagle sat up upon hearing the sharp tone in Bakunetsumaru's voice. It wasn't all that common the older Gundam gave a sharp snap like that, so when he did, he was either sensing something evil or someone had pissed him off. The flying Gundam had a sinking feeling it was the former rather than the latter though.

"Uh... what is it?" Guneagle asked as he got to his feet.

Before the Blazing Samurai could answer, he suddenly jumped back and shoved Guneagle back with a tackle using his shoulder as these wooden tentacles lanced out and landed in the ground point first.

The aerial Gundam blinked as he saw that. "Okay...? Who attacks with wooden canes?"

Bakunetsumaru looked back, his brown eyes hard as he glared at the form that was coming closer to the two of them.

"Identify yourself, spawn of evil!" The samurai Gundam ordered as he drew out his twin katana blades again.

"Is that any way to greet an elderly lady?" The form asked in a sweet-sounding tone, but something about that tone of voice set Guneagle on edge, just like Bakunetsumaru was. Sure enough, the form was revealed to be a little old lady, but her eyes were a glaring red color, and on her face were indeed purplish veins that pulsed slightly. Guneagle gaped. "What?! Aw, c'mon! I was just joking!"

Baku glanced back at Guneagle. "You just _had_ to say that, didn't you?"

"How was I supposed to know it would actually happen?!" Guneagle snapped back before he then saw one of those wooden cane tentacle things looming over the Musha Gundam. Reacting quickly, Guneagle engaged his mini-thrusters on his legs that he used for maneuvering in the air and rushed towards Bakunetsumaru, shoving the older Gundam to the side and away from the tentacle, which lanced into the ground not even a second later.

Looking back, Baku saw how close he was to having been impaled and gulped. "Wow... Thanks..."

Guneagle looked back at the little old lady, his green eyes hard now. "Okay, lady! What gives?!"

"What do you mean?" The old lady purred before her eyes flared red again before her tentacles sprouted from her back, hovering all around her and aimed at the two Gundams. "I was just trying to get your attention, dearies~."

"More like trying to off us!" Guneagle snapped back.

Baku got into his fighting stance as he held his twin katana at the ready. Two wooden tentacles launched themselves at the Musha Gundam, but he was able to block the attack on his person by using his two swords to parry the tentacles. However, three more came at his back from around behind him. Before they could impale Bakunetsumaru though, Guneagle got out his beam saber and sliced through the three tentacles, forcing them to retreat. Guneagle then moved so he and Baku were standing back to back. The Musha looked back at the flying Gundam. "Thanks for that."

Guneagle gave a nod without even bothering to look back at the samurai Gundam. "No problem."

The old lady's face then twisted into a snarl as she saw the two Gundams weren't backing down from her attack.

"Why are you not running?!" She demanded. "I am one of the feared Fallen!"

Guneagle looked back at her, as did Baku. "Fallen?" Both mechs asked as one.

Their response only angered the newly termed Fallen, as she screeched while more tentacles lashed out from her back at the two Gundams.

Seeing the incoming tentacles, Guneagle began to spin his beam saber in his right hand, the blade becoming a glowing buzzsaw of sorts, which lopped off the ends of the tentacles. Baku was busy parrying more tentacles from in front, keeping them off of his person as well. Two tried to stab Baku in the chest, but he crossed his twin swords in an X-formation, blocking the two tentacles from hitting him. With a shout, he sliced the two tentacles as he thrust his blades apart, slashing off the tips and forcing the tentacles to retreat.

As the two Gundams fought, Guneagle was quick to notice something. "Hey!" He nudged Baku with an elbow. "Look! Where I sliced away a tentacle thing."

Baku glanced back without turning his head or diverting most of his attention from the fight he was engaged in. Sure enough, he saw what Guneagle was pointing out; one of the tentacles seemed to be on fire.

A mental smirk crossed Baku's processor as he realized what Guneagle had in mind. _'Of course! Since I'm the _Blazing_ Samurai...'_ The Musha then returned his attention to the battle at hand, but he had a plan this time. Slicing away a few more tentacles, Baku then looked at Guneagle, who looked back at him. Both mechs nodded before Guneagle stowed his beam saber and put his hands together, forming a platform of sorts. Baku took the chance and jumped up, landing with one of his feet in Guneagle's hands before the flying Gundam then heaved the Musha Gundam into the air with a shove using his full strength. Now airborne, Baku had the perfect angle to attack from. He crossed his katana together, channeling his signature attack into them. "Tenkyouken!" He drew his katana apart, creating the blazing 'X', that was his attack. The fiery 'X' cut through the nest of wooden tentacles, setting each one ablaze as it passed by them.

The Fallen screeched in pain as her tentacles burned away. She was forced to retreat as the burning tentacles fell away from her body, just as Baku landed amongst the flaming remains of the forest of tentacles. Guneagle was about to give chase, but he then seemed to have second thoughts, deciding to remain where he was instead.

Looking back at Guneagle, Baku smiled with pride in his brown eyes. "That was a job in battle you did."

Guneagle blinked. "Huh?"

Baku then decided to explain. "You found a weakness that we could exploit, namely the fact those tentacles were wooden."

Guneagle, now understanding what the older Gundam meant, rubbed the back of his helm with a sheepish grin. "Ehehe…"

Baku then knelt and picked up what was the remnants of a wooden tentacle. "Hmm..."

"What?" Guneagle asked as he joined the Musha in looking at the remnants.

"This isn't normal wood." Baku noted as Guneagle drew down his visor, which was a navy blue color, and began to scan the piece of singed and burned wood.

If it were possible, Guneagle would have frowned at the readings he was getting from the piece Bakunetsumaru was holding. "I'm detecting organic matter that is consistent with wood, along with traces of what is flesh and blood."

The samurai Gundam dropped the piece of wood in shock and disgust. "You mean I was holding a part of a _human_?!" He looked like he was about to vomit. "Ugh... I don't feel so good..."

Guneagle reached down and picked up the piece of wood himself. "No, it's not part of a human in the normal sense. I can pick up what have to be nerves, but they aren't filled with blood... It's like they are... a mixture of flesh, blood, and wood together..." Putting the wood down, Guneagle then flipped up his visor as he looked at Baku. "I don't know how to describe it, but I think this was a power of that 'Fallen'."

"Great..." Baku moaned, feeling sick to his 'stomach'.

Guneagle could see the samurai looked a bit sick, so he decided it was best to head back to the old cabin. "C'mon, let's get back to the cabin." He said as he helped Baku to his feet and slipped an arm around his shoulders.

As they made their way back to the cabin though, Guneagle's mind was more on the results of his scan of that piece of wood. _'What _is_ behind that? _How_ is a human able to create wood from their own body and control it like that?'_

He would have to wait for an answer, as right now, he had a sick samurai to be dealing with.

* * *

In his office, Mayor Sebben was working when he suddenly gasped as his Gem of Sight flared into activation. Gripping at his eye patch, the human panted as many visions of the future flashed by in his mind, but a few stood out to him as they were the longest of the visions. One showed Sammael before another vision then showed a form in shadow, ramming against what looked to be a barrier of sorts, one that had runes on it that were indecphirable and seven circles on it, six in a hexagon shape and the last one in the center of the hexagon. This form had wings, twin tails, and bright golden optics. A roar echoed before the form rammed into the barrier again, just as a new vision came, revealing what looked to be the life energy of the world, known as Mana, and the Dark Substance that permeated deep into the earth. Then, a new world was shown, one that had _much_ more Mana while lacking the Dark Substance, and the barrier was shown opening in this new world.

Sebben then gasped as the visions ended, panting heavily. The mayor of GrimmFall was _sure_ he had seen some kind of extradimensional entity, but as to _what_ it was, that was the unknown.

_'How odd... Why is the life energy of the world shown in this vision? Does the myth of Mana have something to do with this new entity I saw? And what were those seven circles and runes? It looked like some kind of seal...'_ Sebben thought to himself as he looked out the window of his office.

It seemed there was more out there than he had thought, and it only made this war more interesting, as well as more chaotic.

_'But is that good or bad...?'_ Mayor Sebben thought with a frown. He was not sure...

* * *

In the cabin in the park, Baku had recovered after his small bout of illness, and was now talking with Guneagle. "So you think that this Fallen is some kind of dangerous foe?" Guneagle asked as he looked at Baku.

"I do." The samurai Gundam replied. "I could sense nothing but pure evil from that old woman."

Guneagle frowned as he crossed his arms over his chest plating. "Hmmm..."

"What?" Baku asked as he looked at the flying Gundam.

"Speaking of sensing..." Guneagle began. "Can't you sense it?"

"Sense what?" Bakunetsumaru asked as he cocked his head in confusion.

Guneagle closed his green eyes, as if trying to pick up on something mentally, but there was nothing he could detect, so he opened his eyes again. "I mean our connection to _it_." He clarified. "You know... what is sealed away?"

At once, Baku got the idea. He closed his own eyes, but, as in tune with his spiritual nature as he was, even he could not sense _it_. He opened his brown eyes and looked at Guneagle. "No, I cannot."

The aerial Gundam nodded. "Yeah, I noticed that right away when we got here."

"So... what do you think is going on?" The samurai Gundam asked.

"I don't know…" Guneagle murmured. "But I _do_ know we are in trouble if we have to call upon _its_ power here, and if we can't sense _it_, then..."

Baku frowned beneath his face plate. "I see the dilemma then."

It seemed they were without their one ace-in-the-hole for once...

* * *

**Yen Sid's Dimension**

_Yen Sid frowned as he saw what the two Gundams were doing. He had heard their conversation, and he knew what the issue was._

_"The Dark Substance... By permeating do deep into the earth, it has disrupted the flow of the life energy, Mana, so that it is weaker here than it is in other dimensions." Yen Sid mused to himself. "This has disrupted things greatly, much more so than I had feared. Even at the strongest Mana ley-line, they won't be able to tap into the strength that is needed to break the seal I have foreseen."_

_The old wizard/mage held up a hand as the Gem of Ability came into view. "And yet, there _is_ a way they can..." The gem was then shown being stolen by Sammael and his forces. "But it relies upon Sammael stealing the Gem of Ability for these new heroes to do so."_

_And yet, a smile crossed Yen Sid's face. "That should prove to be an interesting fight..."_

_Off to the side, an image showed Sammael running from the fight, and the new heroes being victorious._

* * *

**Mining Town**

Wing Saber sat off to the side, looking up at the sky above. Springer came up next to him. "Something on your mind?"

A grunt came from the flying mech. "No, unless you want to try giving me that processor lobotomy to get rid of my 'Past reboots'." Wing Saber grumbled.

"No! Err... No. That's... not exactly what I wanted to talk about." Springer finally sighed as he sat down next to Wing Saber.

"Then what _did_ you want to talk about?" Wing Saber snapped.

Springer finally looked up at the other mech. "Arcee said you were a commander a few times, just as you mentioned it to me once as well."

Realizing what it was Springer wanted to know, Wing Saber sighed. "Yeah, I was. But don't praise me for it, because all teams under my command died."

"You mentioned that before..." Springer trailed off here.

"Look... I don't want to get into that." Wing Saber finally admitted. "I tend to have Past Reboots to that time quite frequently, and a few I actually have regrets about."

Springer frowned, surprised that the normally cocky and arrogant mech seemed to actually want to keep something a secret. But, regardless, the Wrecker decided to not pry any further.

Instead of talking further, the two mechs just sat in silence, each in their own thoughts.

* * *

** Cree gets interrogated by Zero Squadron while the two Gundams, Baku and Guneagle, not only face their first Grimm, but also their first Fallen as the crew of the _Steelhaven_ is awoken from stasis lock. Meanwhile, Yen Sid ponders a possible confrontation that could occur down the road in the future. What will happen next? Read on to find out~! :3 **


	11. Darkness of Deceit XI

**Here is another chapter~! :3**

**D.N Works: Glad you liked that. :3**

**GCD: You will see~! :3 And glad you liked Guneagle's little 'jinx' moment! XD**

**merendinoemiliano: You could say that. They have some members possessing what are termed Newtype powers, or basically an increased awareness of the world around them.**

**nightmaster000: I always save my responses to you for last because your reviews are so detailed. :3 For starters, Granny was indeed around GrimmFall for a reason. What that is, I do not know yet... ^^' But good guesses. :3 As for the Mana thing, Mana is different from magic. Mana is literally tapping into the life-force of the earth and nature around someone. Magic is using the magical energy of nature or one's own magical nature. So, because the Dark Substance is more about death than life, because it permeates so deeply into the earth itself, the flow of Mana has been cut off in some areas and weakened in others. As for the seal, there _is_ a reason the Gundam Force wants to get back the ability to use open the seal, but it is not a bad thing. And as for Heero and Zero Squadron, yeah, they are learning more information, and none of it good. XD**

**Lord Maximus: Yep! :3**

**Titanic X: Glad you did. :3**

**Note: If any readers have an account, then please review using your account please. If you are too lazy to log in, then at least leave your account name so I can know who you are. If any reader does not have an account, then at least use a **consistent** name when reviewing so I can respond in a more personal manner, as the name 'Guest' does not seem too personable to me.**

_***"Cybertronian"***_

* * *

**Tokyo, Japan**

Two more forms landed on the ground, the female form landing on the male Gundam below her. The female human got off of the male Gundam, grunting as she landed on her feet. Her light brown hair was in rolled up braids on the sides of her head, and she had light violet eyes as well as a small tiara on her head to show she was royalty. Her outfit consisted of blue leggings that had booted feet, she wore a blue shirt, and had some sort of silk hanging from the rear of her shirt and the top part of her leggings. This young female human was Princess Relehimana Miya de Lacroa, the heiress to the throne of the Kingdom of Lacroa.

Her traveling companion was a male Gundam that had sapphire blue eyes on a yellow eyescreen, and mostly white armor. His V-chevron was golden in color, and had the red pentagon in the center of it. There were light blue accents to his armor and his chest was blue as well. There was a red line branching out from the center of his chest, over to his shoulder guards and down his arms as well. This Gundam also had wheels on the back of his feet too. His faceplate looked like it could retract, and it had dual slats that lit up with a golden color whenever he spoke. On his shoulder guards was the sigil of the Gundam Force, the unit he led.

"Are you alright, Captain?" Princess Relehimana, aka, Rele, asked as Captain Gundam got to his feet and brushed off his armor.

"All systems are functioning within normal parameters." Captain replied, his voice sounding male with a metallic edge. It was a smooth tenor in tone, which was a bit unusual for a mech to have.

Rele blinked. "And... what does that mean?"

Captain looked at her with a confused look. "Didn't I just say I was fine?"

Now the princess understood what he had just said. "Ah, so you are not hurt."

"Yes." Captain replied.

Rele frowned a bit to herself. _'I wonder how it is that Shute can understand Captain's words so easily. Is it because Shute is a prodigy with machinery?'_

However, Captain didn't realize Rele was staring at him, because the Gundam Force leader was looking around their location. "Unusual."

His comment snapped the princess out of her staring and she looked at Captain. "What's unusual?"

The Gundam looked around some more. "I'm detecting several large energy signatures in the area, and one of them is getting stronger." Captain noted. Then, he seemed to become somewhat startled. "What?"

Rele was quick to cover her eyes from the sparks when Captain's scanners shorted out, earning a yelp from the Gundam as a response to that happening. Captain groaned a bit, one hand over his right eye-screen, which had had his green scanner down in front of it. Removing his hand from in front of his eye-screen, Captain's eye was revealed to be showing the pain emote before it returned to normal, showing his blue eye again, just as Rele came over to him. "Are you alright?"

Captain looked a bit shaken up, as his eyes were slightly smaller than normal, but he seemed to be fine physically. "Yes... But that one energy signature I picked up... it seems to have shorted out my scanners..."

"It was that strong?!" Rele gasped.

"I couldn't get an accurate reading..." Captain murmured. "It was getting to the point that numbers wouldn't even match the readouts..."

Rele's eyes went wide slightly at hearing that. She knew from experience that Captain's scanners could take a large amount of stress and handle large readouts of data, but for there to be such a strong signature of energy that it would short out even Captain's scanners, it scared her. "Do... do you know the direction it came from?" Rele asked.

"It was towards that mountain in the distance..." The Gundam replied. Rele looked back, only to see what looked to be a simple mountain that looked serene in appearance, but if that was the direction of that signature of energy, then something _had_ to be wrong here. However, when the princess looked back at the mountain, and the same time, she sensed _it_, an evil presence so powerful, so filled with concentrated evil energies, it made her shiver with fright.

"I...I can sense something..." Rele murmured. "It feels like a presence so vile, so cruel and evil, that it has no good intentions. It seems like it came from the depths of the earth itself, but that should not be possible, because it is not Mana I am sensing..."

Captain then tensed up a bit and took a few steps back. "Well, whatever it is, the energy coming from it I can detect, even from here with my other sensors..."

Rele shivered at the feelings of evil she was sensing. "It's like this world's Mana is... dying somehow..."

Captain looked over at the princess of Lacroa, his eyes showing surprise. "What?"

While he himself was unable to detect the Mana that Rele was able to use to great effect, Captain was more than aware that if either the human princess or her loyal Knight Gundam sensed something off with the Mana of a certain dimension or world, then that world was in dire straits.

* * *

**Sammael's lair**

"She has betrayed us."

Sammael was content to stare out window, surveying the Darklands as Moloch spoke from the shadows.

"She tried to infiltrate the ship of those intruders without your orders. Obviously she has a death wish or perhaps she thinks they can make protect her." Moloch continued.

"She'll be back." Sammael spoke calmly, continuing to stare out the window. "Whatever information she may gave these so-called 'Faceless Ones' she knows if I suspect a betrayal I would no longer have a reason to protect her sister from the Satyra and the others."

"Ice, Candy and Slime are together and Fire..." Moloch trailed off. "You already plan for Fire to be brought into the fold."

"As we speak." Sammael turned away from the window and walked over to his throne. "Cree may know the identities of three teams forming the Invisible Hand but she doesn't know where they are, what their missions are and who the other applicants are. They are all smart enough to remain hidden and have ways to contact me if they suspect they have been compromised."

"And what shall be done about Cree herself?" Moloch questioned. "We cannot allow this treachery to go unpunished."

"You wish to track her down. Right now she's our best chance of discovering the identity of these 'Faceless Ones'. I suspect they come from a dimension that had been observed by Van Kleiss and perhaps visited by Black Velvet." Sammael sat down. "If so, we can use that to draw them out and Cree will be the bait."

"You plan to act under the assumption she was acting as their mole, aren't you?" Moloch asked, eyes narrowing.

"And if she is indeed going to be their informant we can use that our advantage. Weaving information we chose to be either true or false so we can gauge their reaction. And if it is true she is their informant we will use that link to lure them out, giving Cree enough hope to shine bright enough for us all to see." Sammael sat down and leaned back on his chair.

Though his face was obscured by darkness Moloch was grinning. "In that case I would like to spearhead this charade, just so I can see the look on her face."

"Very well. But remember Cree is still useful to us." Sammael reminded. "In fact, she has become extremely useful to us now."

* * *

**Ruins, _Constitution_**

On the ship, Heero perked up as he got an unknown chill running down his spine, just before his SEED suddenly sent a sharp pain across his forehead. The admiral grunted as his right hand flew to his head. Something seemed off, and he didn't like it. Looking down at his hands as he removed his right hand from his head once the pain faded, Heero frowned to himself. It seemed like someone was planning something against them. It wasn't normal for him to get that kind of feeling, which unnerved Heero.

Leaning back in his chair, he pondered what this could possibly mean. While it was true he could go ahead with the plan to have Cree be the mole, something told him to hold off on that. _'Hmm... If someone _is_ planning against us, we have to act carefully now. Maybe...'_ A few backup plans were run through in his mind and he came upon one that would work. _'Yes. Cree will only send us information if it can be verified as true. Also, the chip will have to be further encoded to protect the transmission signal, not to mention we have to find a way to make sure our receivers cannot be picked up either.'_

Looking out the window of the ship, Heero was now beginning to suspect that Sammael was onto them. He didn't like just trusting a mere feeling, as it went against everything he knew, but it had also served him and his unit well in times of conflict, and this was one such occasion. _'This Sammael… What do we have to do to stay one step ahead of him?'_ Heero wondered as he watched the sun shining into his room.

* * *

**Tokyo, Japan**

Captain and Rele were running throughout the streets, trying to find anything that could be of use to them. But all they saw were humans, humans who has animal parts, and animals that moved and talked like humans.

Rele found it interesting that humans could have animal parts and that animals could walk and talk like humans here, but that could wait for another time, like when she and Captain were not rushing to find out what happened to cause the feelings they were experiencing.

* * *

**GrimmFall**

Akira frowned as he saw E-Male was currently fighting the one known as Johnny Bravo, who was supposedly the new Thor, if what he was reading was correct. However, that flew from his mind when his computer beeped, making the Coordinator look back. His golden eyes went wide beneath his sunglasses as he saw an unknown signal was hacked into the servers. However, while not on the scale of the one signal he was on the lookout for, it was still a potential threat.

At once, the undercover pilot sat down and went to work on backtracking the signal. He found the signal was coming from Japan, which made Akira frown to himself. Why was someone from Japan trying to get into the servers? His fingers flew over the keyboard, trying to find and cut the connection before something happened. Locating the hack, Akira could see it was going to the public server as well as a more top-secret one. His eyes narrowed slightly as he saw that. _'Okay... Either fate is tempting me, or this has to be some kind of test from some divine being...'_Akira mused to himself in thought. True, he could attempt to get into that more top-secret server, but then he would be taking advantage of an exploited opening, and that would make him no better than a typical hacker. And there was the issue of the current hacker already. Deciding to ignore the more top-secret server's contents, Akira set to work on cutting the connection instead. Yes, he would be losing a chance to get more information from that top-secret server, but in the long run, it would be better to just do the right thing.

The Coordinator began to work on cutting the link the hacker from Japan had set up, his eyes narrowing as he saw data was flowing through the connection. _'Damn it! This guy's after the data and video files of the fights!'_ Akira realized before his eyes went wide. _'Hold on... Is this guy... hacking into_ my_ laptop?!'_ Checking his connection, Akira saw his computer was in the clear, namely because it was a quantum-based computer, meaning it was _far_ too powerful for a normal computer here to hack into; the sheer data amount would overload a computer from this universe easily.

Growling, Akira resumed his work on the connection. _'Let's see... How can I cut this guy off from the files...?'_ Akira grinned to himself with a bit of mischief showing in his hidden golden eyes. A few command lines later, Akira had the firewalls up and running, thus cutting off the connection for a few precious minutes. _'Okay, I should have enough time to get this security hole plugged, but in case I don't, I need to prepare a data flood that will overload the other computer's hard drive and CPU.'_

Working on the firewalls, Akira began to bolster the defenses of the top-secret server as well as the public server. _'So far so good...'_ Akira thought as his eyes flicked over the data he was seeing. However, he knew that things could turn around in a second, so he was working as though it could turn against him at any moment.

* * *

**Tokyo, Japan**

In his home, Rui, the son of E-Male, was surprised when he saw someone was actively working on keeping him out of the servers where the video files and data of the fights were being stored. His fingers flew over his keyboard, trying to stay ahead of the technician on the other side of the world, but he was surprised to see that even his best technical skills with the computer were not enough to stay ahead of this person. It seemed like the person who was working to stop him was either experienced with computers, or had a Semblance that allowed for extra-skilled use of anything that was digital.

Figuring it would be worth it to try and find a new way into the servers, Rui began to break down the firewalls, looking for any weaknesses in the server firewalls.

However, the person he was working against seemed to be one step ahead, as the firewalls seemed to be bolstered by some kind of new anti-virus and anti-malware defense program.

Rui frowned, but kept up his attempts.

* * *

**GrimmFall**

Akira frowned as he saw the attacker was still at it, looking to get in through a new weakness, as they were probing for such a weak spot. The Coordinator's fingers flew over the keyboard as he activated the new cyber-defenses he had worked on installing during his time here so far. While not as good as they could be, the new firewalls would provide a decent defense for the time being. Once that was done, Akira went to work on creating a virus that would send a flood of useless data into the attacking computer's software.

Bringing up the junk data folder, Akira linked it to the server that was the main target, namely the top-secret one. Frowning, Akira realized he would have to get into the server in order to plant the junk data folder and make it look like it had enticing data on it, and that would require taking down the firewalls he had put up, even if for a moment.

Deciding it was worth the risk, Akira shut down the firewalls for a moment, before dragging in the junk data folder and then re-naming it to something he had the feeling the attacker would likely go for.

That done, while he _was_ tempted to go for the information in the server himself, Akira refrained from going after the information and brought up the less powerful cyber-defenses again. It would not work to just leave it open. _'And if I leave my custom cybersecurity programs down, it will seem like they were not yet complete.'_ Akira mused to himself. _'Once that attacker gets through the firewalls and gets to the junk data folder, the sheer amount of data downloaded from_ my_ laptop__ will overload their computers.'_

At least, that was the plan anyway.

* * *

**Tokyo, Japan**

Rui wondered what the technician was up to, but when he saw the more advanced firewalls go down, he had to assume the defenses were not yet complete. It wouldn't take much longer to get passed the normal firewalls so he could get the remainder of the data and video files. As soon as he got through the firewalls not even five minutes later, Rui smirked to himself. Now he could finish his downloads.

But before he could, Rui saw a new folder, one that seemed to be the most enticing. It wasn't anything flashy, but it was shown to mention the weakness of each hero thus far.

Unable to resist such a tempting target, Rui began to run his downloader program.

* * *

**GrimmFall**

Akira smirked as he saw the junk data folder had been accessed. The downloading seemed to be in progress, which was good. It meant the hacker had taken the bait. _'Heh, let's see how you handle having useless data now...'_

While the junk data folder was being downloaded from his laptop onto the server, which in turn had the junk data folder on there being downloaded, Akira knew he could now work on something more important; he could bolster the defenses so this wouldn't happen again.

Typing away as fast as he could, Akira's fingers moved over the keyboard at the usual Coordinator speed. He accessed the main firewalls and began to add in more effective defenses, as well as his own custom cybersecurity program.

It wouldn't do to just let the cyber defenses not get integrated, so Akira began to do just that. His eyes flicked over the data connection, making sure it was stable so the junk data could be taken by the attacker at a speed that would not overload the connection to the server from his laptop, and from the server to the computer of the attacker.

Things were getting tense, as Akira felt sweat running down his face as he continued his work. This guy was good, but he was better. _'It helps that I'm a Coordinator, but even still, this attacker is skilled enough to almost give me a run for my money. At least, if I wasn't a Coordinator he _would_ give me a run for my money.'_

It seemed the attacker was good, but _he_ had the benefit of being genetically enhanced as well as being a skilled programmer. Looking at the junk data folder, Akira gave a smirk. It was only 1% downloaded, almost 2%, but it seemed to be working out.

* * *

**Tokyo, Japan**

Rui frowned, wondering why the information was still downloading. It seemed easy at first, but now he was beginning to wonder if he was now falling for some kind of trap. It looked like his computer's memory was filling up, and fast, with nothing but useless data. Then, his eyes went wide as he realized it _was_ a trap.

_'Glob... And I fell right into it!'_ Rui thought in a panic as he began to try to cut the connection, but he found his computer was now acting slower than he would have liked. Still, he had to get the connection cut so he didn't lose what precious data he had already obtained. In a matter of minutes, the connection was cut, leaving Rui with not only the few files he had obtained, but also a load of junk data that was begging to be deleted.

Rui groaned as he realized he would have to report this to his father. _'Whoever was defending the servers was good, much better than I thought they were...'_

Looking at the junk data now on his computer, Rui gulped at the sheer immensity of the task of deleting that before him.

* * *

_Tokyo Streets_

Captain and Rele were running through the streets still when someone, a human, caught sight of the two of them. "Hold it!"

The Gundam and human froze. Looking back, the two saw a policeman approaching them. "It's not safe here! You two need to head to the Kaiju Shelters now!"

"Kaiji Shelters?" Rele asked, not sure of what to make of that term.

"Yes, shelters against giant Grimm known as Kaiju Grimm." The police officer said as he reached a hand out towards Rele's arm, as if to grab her so she could not escape. "They are the safest place to be right now."

Rele felt the man grab her arm and she yelped as she was pulled away from Captain's side. Thinking quickly, Captain reacted. He grabbed a large chunk of rock and, before the officer knew what happened, found his hand was aching like something fierce. He looked down, only to see a large bruise forming on his hand, and it looked like his hand was broken too... Glancing back up, the officer saw Captain and Rele running away from him.

"Hey! Get back here!" The officer yelled as the two ducked down another street and out of sight. Captain looked back, relying on his sensors and radar to tell him if the officer was in the area near them yet.

"Thanks, Captain..." Rele panted.

"Don't thank me yet, princess." Captain said seriously. "We'll need to rely on your magic if we're to escape this officer and get to the battle site."

Rele realized what the Gundam Force leader was planning and nodded. "Right." She closed her eyes and began to focus on a build up of Mana so she could take action.

* * *

The officer saw the two running out from a street and began to chase them down. "Get back here, you brats!"

However, he didn't realize there was a slight distortion to the air behind him as he chased after his 'quarry'.

* * *

Out of sight, Rele dropped the cloaking spell and smiled. "How was that, Captain Gundam?"

Captain nodded his approval. "It was a good plan." He then looked back at the direction of the mountain behind them. "Now, we must hurry."

Rele nodded. "Right."

Being careful of her, Captain grabbed Rele around her middle and flexed his flight thrusters before igniting the engines and taking to the air. Rele frowned as she saw Captain using what little fuel he had to get them to the mountain. "Are you sure that's a wise idea?"

"It will get us to the battle site faster." Captain said.

"I could get us there on a Mana circle, you know." Rele pointed out.

Captain looked down at her. "While that may be true, it would be more noticeable than me just carrying you and flying us there myself."

The princess had to admit that was a valid point. So, she nodded in acceptance. "Very well. I can accept the validity of that statement, Captain."

Focusing his attention back on the objective, Captain flew on, only to come to a halt in mid-air when he saw the sight before him and Rele. Before them both was a large creature that looked like a dinosaur that had blades on its body, like literal ax-blades! The skin was black, and it had blood-red eyes as well.

"Oh... Mana..." Rele gasped as her eyes grew wide, unable to believe what she was seeing.

Captain, while silent, was also unable to believe what he was seeing, and his eyes were smaller than normal as well as shaking slightly. Finally, the Gundam was able to force his vocalizer to respond to his mental commands to speak. "Is... that what you were sensing...?"

"Yes..." Rele rasped out. "And even now, I can sense it... the pure evil that lurks beneath its skin, giving it life..."

A loud _THUD_ made the two look back, only to see what looked like a Gundam that was larger than Captain in body height get slammed into a rockface nearby. Off to the side were six mechanical life-forms that looked like they had a secondary form as well.

Rele was more surprised at these new life-forms than she was at the sight of the other Gundam. She could sense something... different, about these life-forms, but as to what it was, she was not sure. She blinked, unsure of what to make of these beings. The princess had heard of trains yes, having seen such things on Neotopia, but these beings... seemed to have the forms of trains as a secondary form for each one, if the chest area was any indication. Captain gave a low growl, making Rele look up at him. "Captain?"

"They need help." The Gundam said, straight to the point instead of trying to find a way to explain it in that technical way of his.

Rele looked down again at the groups fighting below them. "Yes, they do." She then looked back up at the Gundam Force leader. "But what do you suggest we do?"

Captain knew what he had to do. He flew down low to a tree and set the princess on one of the branches. "Wait here."

"Why?" Rele asked.

"I'm going to give them a hand from here." Captain replied. "And I know how to do it, too." He jabbed a thumb digit at his V-chevron, which surprised Rele.

"You mean you're going to use...?" Rele asked.

A nod from the Gundam was her response.

Rele then sighed. "Very well." She then opened her eyes and looked directly into Captain's blue ones. "I wish you the best luck, Captain Gundam."

Captain nodded and flew up to a height he knew he would not hit Rele from.

Once at the correct height, emitters on the front of his engines for flight began to glow as vents on the sides of his helm opened up to gather energy as well. The projector on his helm also began to gather energy, which began to coalesce into his V-chevron. At the same time, a visor came down to protect his eyes. Twin lines from his V-chevron projected the attack's path before Captain then launched the attack. _"V-Attack!"_ The attack sped out and towards the giant beast, which was hit on the side of the face, searing out a nostril and the area near its eye.

Captain then flew down low to just above where Rele was standing, just as the beast began to look for the source of the attack that hit it. However, the beast could not find the one who had launched the attack, namely because Captain was a mechanical life-form and therefore did not have blood for the beast to sniff out.

"Nice shot." Rele said with a smile.

"It might have been, but now we need to move. That beast will come looking for the source of that attack, and it's already making its way here." Captain said with a slight growl.

Rele nodded. "Right." Captain then grabbed hold of her before taking flight once more, but staying just below the tops of the trees so as to avoid getting seen.

However, the beast then roared as it caught sight of the exhaust from Captain's engines. The beast roared once more before a strange sound came from behind the Gundam. Captain dared a glance back, only for his irises to shrink in size as he saw a laser blast coming up on him from behind. Thinking quickly, Captain dove down lower, but the next blast was even closer.

"What's going on?!" Rele demanded before a scream escaped her as Captain darted to the right to avoid another laser blast.

"Just hang on!" Captain exclaimed as he then veered straight up into the air, a laser blast coming up on him from below. Captain then flew back towards the ground in a steep dive, keeping a tight grip on Rele's middle. The next laser blast nearly missed his back, and Captain could feel the heat searing across his armor, even when it was not making direct contact. The Gundam took a chance and glanced back over his shoulder again, only to see where the laster blasts were coming from. "Huh?! That thing... can shoot lasers from its eyes?"

Rele didn't hear Captain's observation, as they were flying at too high a speed for his voice to reach her. It was only mentioned to himself, but Captain made sure to keep an eye on this new development. _'Maybe...'_ A plan began to form in his mind, but before he could execute it, another laser blast came at him, and this time it made contact with his right flight thruster, causing it to explode into flames and making Captain spiral down towards the ground in a dive.

Captain didn't even let go of Rele as he fell, instead turning his body around so he could make contact with the ground first and ejecting the damaged thruster as well as his undamaged one. Rele heard the sound of Captain's thrusters being ejected and knew what that meant right away. Thinking fast, before Captain could hit the ground back first and get himself hurt worse if not outright killed, Rele channeled more Mana into her form and a glowing blue orb appeared around the duo, slowing Captain's fall and the orb landing on the ground safely before dissipating. Captain fell the rest of the distance, which was a short fall, and landed on his back with what he hoped would be a grunt, but instead it turned out to be a scream of pain. Rele was quick to cover Captain's mouth slats with her hand, but it was a moot point because Captain had, thankfully, had the foresight to mute his vocalizer before it got any louder. Groans of pain emerged from Captain's vocalizer once he turned it back on.

"Are you alright, Captain Gundam?" Rele asked, unsure if Captain was truly hurt or not. Grunting, the Gundam made to sit up, only to grasp at his right shoulder, or rather, the armor on the back of his shoulder.

"No... It seems my armor took a serious hit from that explosion that ignited my right thruster..." Captain grunted out. "I also am having trouble moving my right shoulder joint somewhat. I believe it is due to shrapnel from the explosion, but I cannot be too sure..."

Looking back behind the Gundam, Rele could see there was indeed some shrapnel embedded into his shoulder joint. But the armor on his back in that area was what shocked her the most. It was mostly singed black, but it was most likely due to soot instead of being literally roasted. Rele reached out and touched the armor, only to yank her hand back as she felt it searing on her skin. Of course, the act of yanking her hand back revealed the black stuff on Captain's back armor was indeed soot, but also some oil as well.

"Well, it seems your shoulder joint does indeed have shrapnel embedded into it." Rele said. "But your armor is the more pressing concern. It's nearly seared black, and I do not know how strong it is against a blast of power of that magnitude."

Captain nodded. "Agreed. We have to get out of here before that beast finds us."

The beast was already looking for them, but Rele was able to act quickly and cloak the two of them so the beast couldn't see them. Captain managed to get to his feet so he and Rele could make their get away. As they made their way through the thick forest, Captain could feel his armor beginning to cool down somewhat, but now that it was, his shoulder joint was starting to hurt even more. The one thing about his upgrade to his Hyper form that he found he disliked the most was the ability to actually feel pain now, since that part was modeled after Bakunetsumaru's ability to do so. But at the same time, it was a good thing too because it told Captain when he was reaching his limit for combat, as well as how severe the damages he took were.

After a short time of walking, maybe a half hour, Captain wasn't sure since the explosion had damaged some systems as well, Rele decided to check up on him. "Okay, I think we cam take a short break for a while."

"We can't stop moving, Princess." Captain countered, but Rele wasn't hearing any of it.

"Nonsense. And besides, you're injured enough to where we _do_ need to stop, at least for a while." The princess said in a matter of fact tone.

Captain sighed through his vents. When Rele used that tone, there was no room for argument. "Very well..."

Rele smiled before she pointed out a small space where they could rest. "Here."

At her suggestion, Captain sat down, grunting from the pain as he did so. Now that he was seated, Rele was able to look over his damaged shoulder joint. "I think I can remove the shrapnel, but repairing it is out of my abilities I'm afraid. I just don't know enough about foreign Gundams like you and Guneagle to even attempt basic repairs."

"Then we should just leave it for now." Captain said. "I would rather you not attempt such a thing unless you feel it won't interfere with my ability to fight, and only if you feel you can remove the shrapnel without causing me to leak out."

Rele frowned at that. "Well, I _should_ be able to at least heal up any fluid lines that were penetrated, if that helps at all."

Captain looked down at his damaged shoulder joint before letting air out through his vents again. "Very well."

Nodding, Rele began to remove what shrapnel she could, also looking to see what fluid lines had been penetrated by the shrapnel. And wherever a line was cut, she managed to repair it by making the line heal itself with her Mana. Finally, about 45 minutes later, she had finished her work. "There. I've done all I can, but the damage is still bad I'm afraid."

Captain nodded. "You did well, so that's all I can ask."

Rele smiled a bit, glad to have been able to help somewhat.

* * *

**GrimmFall**

Akira smiled to himself, glad he had managed to drive off the hacker before anymore information had been stolen.

Leaning back in his seat, the Coordinator's smile faded into a frown as he pondered who would be behind this attack. If he had not acted when he did, then lives could have been endangered.

_'I wonder if Major Glory should know about this...'_ Akira thought before he shook his head. _'No, he does need to know. There's no doubt about that.'_

With that, Akira reached down and picked up what he knew would get Major Glory's attention. It was a phone he had been given, and the pilot sent a text to Major Glory's tablet.

In a matter of minutes, Major Glory was in the control room. "What's going on, Alex?"

Akira pointed at the computer screen. "Someone tried to get information on the battles taking place here recently." He replied. "I did manage to drive them off, but it wasn't easy."

"I see." Major Glory rumbled. "Was it Jimmy's accomplice?"

"No." Akira said with a frown. "The attack didn't match that, and the location was in Japan for this one. The attacker that helped Jimmy masked their location so well, I had no idea where they were."

Major Glory frowned behind his mask. "So you're saying this was a new attack."

"Yes." Akira replied. "But as to who it was, I don't know. At least, not yet anyway."

Major Glory nodded. "Very good work, Alex. I will leave finding the attacker behind this attempt in your capable hands."

As Major Glory left, Akira frowned to himself. _'But am I really that capable? Here, against all these heroes who have these great powers? I might have genetic enhancements, but I'm just a normal human here...'_

He hoped Major Glory was right about him being capable, because he certainly didn't feel like it himself.

* * *

**Van Kleiss's Lair**

"So, we were abducted by the one who is behind the breeches?" Ultra Magnus asked as the Neo Blitz and the Raptor both nodded.

_"You were."_ Commander Lockheed replied.

_"We came here to destroy the breech machine, but due to not finding it and getting detected, we had to abandon that part of the mission for now and focus on getting to you guys."_ 1st Lt. Amalfi added.

Ultra Magnus sighed. "Well, it seems we have a bit of a situation to get out of then, don't we?"

_"You have _no_ idea..."_ Commander Lockheed grumbled.

* * *

**GrimmFall**

Guneagle groaned as he flopped back onto the floor of the old cabin. "I'm so _boooorrrrrreeeedddd!"_ He whined.

"Start practicing your ground-combat skills then if you're so bored." Baku said as he looked up from cleaning his katana.

"But you _know_ how I can get!" Guneagle moaned. "I can't _stand_ being bored!"

Baku put down his sword that he was cleaning and gave the younger Gundam a look. "And I just gave you an option to not be bored."

Guneagle just held up his middle finger in response.

The Musha Gundam growled, but he didn't lash out, instead keeping his usual hot temper under control. "You will never become a great warrior like Captain, Zero, or even myself if you continue to act so immature."

"Says the one who gets into arguments with Zero every day~!" Guneagle quipped.

Baku cleared his throat. "Yes, well... We might have our differences, but at the end of the day, I still know I can count on Zero to back me up, no matter what may transpire between us."

Guneagle blinked his green eyes as he looked at Baku. "Huh?"

"Despite our arguments, Zero and I will never stop giving each other the back-up needed in battle." Baku explained.

Sitting up now, Guneagle's attention was solely on the Blazing Samurai. "So, even after Zero turned your armor pink and red you still backed up him in battle?"

"Yes." Baku replied, although he didn't like to be reminded of that incident. "Even after an incident like that."

Guneagle looked down slightly, the older Gundam's words mulling around in his powerful processors.

The Musha Gundam noticed this and gave a mental smile. _'Heh... It would seem he is learning yet.'_

The aerial combat specialist then looked back up at Bakunetsumaru. "I have a question though."

Baku looked at Guneagle in confusion. "What do you have on your mind?"

Guneagle's question was _not_ what the samurai Gundam expected though. "Why do you sometimes try to use a slapping fan on others when you get mad?"

At hearing that, Baku paused. For once, he was unsure of how to respond now that he thought about it. "I... Uh... Wow... I never thought I would be asked a question like that..."

Guneagle frowned. "Well, I ask because it seems kind of stupid to assume someone is not educated based on a few comments."

Baku looked back at Guneagle. "Huh?"

"You tried to use it on me a few times when I made a few smart comments during a training session before we came here." Guneagle clarified. "And it was Chief Haro and Captain who had to stop you, because those comments were just to mess with you, not insult you."

The Musha Gundam found himself actually thinking now. "Huh..."

"You say you're a great warrior, and I will acknowledge that when it comes to fighting, but a real warrior would learn to consider if someone really _was_ uneducated and immature if that person they worked with made some smart comments." Guneagle continued.

Despite being the youngest of the active Gundam Force members, Guneagle could have some surprisingly deep advice, which was another reason why he was on the team.

Bakunetsumaru looked up at Guneagle, still not used to those small bits of wisdom that the aerial Gundam was pointing out. "Just what are you trying to say? Are you implying I am too quick to judge and that I am not a real warrior because of it?" The Blazing Samurai could feel his temper rising.

"I'm saying you're too quick to assume someone is immature." Guneagle shot back. "You almost did the same to _Captain_ once, and you _know_ he doesn't understand human nature at times!"

Memories of that incident came back to the Musha, and it made him wince. Guneagle actually had a valid point when it came to that incident. All because Captain had not entirely understood certain human expressions/emotions, the Musha Gundam had assumed Captain was acting in an immature manner. But thanks to the efforts of Shute and Zero, Bakunetsumaru had been restrained from going after the Gundam Force leader, whom had had the situation explained to him bluntly. To say Captain had been shocked was an understatement. Baku had been given brig time for that for a few days, as well as a nasty punch curtesy of Captain.

A sigh escaped from Bakunetsumaru's vents. "You're right." He admitted at last. "I _do_ tend to 'jump the gun', as you say, now that I think about it."

Guneagle blinked, surprised the normally prideful samurai Gundam was actually admitting he was wrong to jump the gun.

Baku then looked back up at Guneagle. "And while you _can_ be immature at times, it isn't entirely your choice. You're still young and learning. Which is why it is surprising that you can have such deep insight into our flaws."

Guneagle gave a snort. "So I'm insightful now? I'm not made to be philosophical."

Baku just gave the younger Gundam a smack upside the helm, sending him back to the ground.

"Hey!"

"_That_ was for the smart remark."

"No fair!"

* * *

Mayor Sebben frowned as he saw the images of the battle with the Fallen Granny and the two Gundams. The winged one seemed to be very skilled in combat in the air, while the samurai-like one seemed to be a close-quarters specialist.

_'So, they managed to defeat a Fallen. But now that they have, I cannot help but wonder how strong they will be against Sammael.'_ The mayor thought to himself before his hand went to his eye patch again. Images of that dragon-like form appeared in his memories, which made Mayor Sebben wonder if that was some kind of new entity Sammael would call upon down the road, or if the new heroes would be the ones to call upon it first.

But if it was... then why were these new heroes the ones who arrived here? What did this have to do with the life force known as Mana?

_'It seems only time will tell for sure...'_ Mayor Sebben thought sadly.

* * *

**In Japan, Captain Gundam and Princess Rele arrive and find themselves against Badaxtra, not that they know it anyway, and barely escape with their lives. Meanwhile, Akira has a cyber battle against E-Male's son Rui, but neither knows the identity of the one they fought, just as Guneagle and Baku have a small argument with Baku learning a bit more about his own hot-headedness and how it affects his teammates. What will happen next? Read on to find out~! :3 **


	12. Tale of Two Heights I

**Here is another chapter~! :3**

**CT7567Rules: Glad you could drop by to read it! :D I wanted to do SD for involved in this for a while now, so why not? XD And I am glad to find another fan of the series too! :3 And I will take a look when you get a chapter for it up. :)**

**GCD: Glad you liked it! :D And you will see what happens. XD**

**merendinoemiliano: Glad you liked and Major Glory won't give out the video and data files because someone could use that against the combatants. :)**

**nightmaster000: I decided to combine your ideas you sent me, and you will see how soon enough. ;3 And it was a pleasure to explain the Mana difference. :3 Yes... I am aware of said plot hole...^^' But I am glad you like the story still overall. :) I will admit I am not fixing the plot hole, but only because it would take a while to fix. That aside, it can be tricky yes. XD. And I am glad you like what I have so far. :3**

**Lord Maximus: Yeah, thanks for that catch. I missed it myself. ^^' Anyway, there is one other team, plus a surprise team coming in down the road. ;3 And I can't wait to see what goes down with Johnny as the new Thor. XD**

**Titanic X: Glad you did. :3**

**Note: If any readers have an account, then please review using your account please. If you are too lazy to log in, then at least leave your account name so I can know who you are. If any reader does not have an account, then at least use a **consistent** name when reviewing so I can respond in a more personal manner, as the name 'Guest' does not seem too personable to me.**

_***"Cybertronian"***_

* * *

_***Files Accessed***_

_**File 1: Activation**__** Mission**_

_Many years had passed since the last encounter with the one-eyed destroyer. Three optics roved around, taking in what remained of its creators. The being involved had destroyed its once-proud home, leaving only burning remains behind. The one known as Zeong could not feel fear, nor despair, at what it was seeing. No, there was no need to, because it was created not to feel emotions, but to defeat the one-eyed destroyer._

_Zeong flicked its three optics around, looking for any sign of the destroyer, but to no avail. Then, at the edge of its sensors, it sensed _him_, the one-eyed destroyer. A low growl rumbled throughout its immense body, sounding more like a roar of anger and anguish, although anguish it knew not of, for it was not designed to feel such things. No, it was only a weapon designed to take on the dream demon himself._

_Emerging from the ruins of its home, Zeong floated up and left behind the remains of the planet it once resided on. There was no emotional attachment to tie it to the burning world below it, so there was no weeping. All that there was that remained, was the mission. Defeat of the one-eyed demon himself was the priority. And so, began toe quest of Zeong to hunt down and destroy the one-eyed destroyer..._

**_File 2: Benevolent Violence_**

_Deep in the confines of space-time, a presence exists. This presence is so powerful, it can be accessed by any dimension's inhabitants if they have the right amount of power. However, they must have certain qualities that allow for its full power to be reached. Taking the form of a dragon, this being is known only as The Great One, the Divine, or even just The Dragon, to emerging civilizations. Worshiped and respected by all primitive life, it is also greatly feared, for if angered, it is said this great beast can take lives in one breath._

_While it is known by its many nicknames, its _real_ name is only known to those who can tap its full power, but as of yet, there have been none to reach that level of power. Or so it was claimed..._

_During a battle across dimensions, long after the Great One was sealed away by the dream demon himself, a group matching the qualities and traits needed to tap the beast's full power finally did just that, although the Divine was never unsealed. _That_ happened a few months later, when the power was needed for the first time in millennia..._

* * *

**GrimmFall**

Up in the command center, Akira was _sure_ that he and his unit were just insects to these people now. If what he had seen was any indication, there were _real gods_ here! He felt himself becoming faint, and it wasn't a good sign. His SEED also sent a twinge of pain when he saw Johnny Bravo throw his hammer at E-Male. It was like he could... _sense_... a powerful presence inside the blonde-haired man with the unusual hair style. Akira's eye went wide when he saw E-Male and Johnny clashing, causing electricity to lance forth in all directions. He activated not just the light shields, but EMP shielding as well so nothing got shorted out. The Coordinator even activated surge protectors so the power systems weren't overloaded as well. At this point, it was _all_ he could do. That done, Akira slumped back in his chair.

_'And here we were supposed to be the best of the best...'_ Akira thought with dismay. He and his unit... really _were_ just mere mortals. They were practically helpless, only surviving by remaining in the shadows and out of sight.

However, Akira felt his SEED twinge again, making him grunt as his hand flew to his head. Looking up, Akira frowned to himself. _'Why is my SEED sending out these twinges of pain?'_ Curious now, Akira focused on the feeling of fury and allowed himself to enter SEED Mode, his golden SEED spinning in his mind's eye before exploding in a shower of sparks with a red vertical ring around it. His eyes glazed over as his pupils shrank to mere pinpricks. Now in SEED Mode, Akira could see the patterns that everyone else was not able to, but at the same time, glancing around, he saw he could follow the fight of E-Male and Johnny better than before. Akira frowned to himself as he watched the battle while in SEED Mode. However, when Johnny flew past the main window of the control center, Akira's SEED-dilated eyes went wide as he saw what looked to be a spectral form around Johnny, one that looked eerily like... _'What the slag?! Is that _Thor_?!'_ Akira thought. He had only seen the mythical deity in tales back in his own dimension, but to see what the god looked like _here_ was a surprise. And for that matter, _how_ was he able to see Thor's presence if he was not a Newtype?

Johnny, along with the spectral Thor, was gone a minute later, but Akira was left with no doubt in his mind that somehow, he had seen a _real_ god. His SEED wasn't twinging anymore, which made him wonder if his SEED had been trying to get him to activate it so he could see what was going on much more clearly.

The battle continued to rage before it was revealed that Johnny Bravo was the winner. Akira sighed as he closed his eyes, his SEED going dormant again. Looking back up, the Coordinator knew he had to let Heero know about this. There was so much that was not yet understood about the SEED/STAR Factor and Newtype abilities. _'Are our SEEDs adapting to this new place?'_ Akira wondered to himself. It seemed likely, but that was a hypothesis that required more study.

* * *

Flay watched the fight herself, her Newtype senses on alert as she saw Johnny Bravo get struck by lightning, only to shiver and gasp as she sensed this _immense_ power erupting from within Johnny's body itself. At the same time, her SEED sent out that sharp stabbing pain, making her grunt as her hand flew to her head. As soon as the battle began to really get underway, Flay suddenly felt Akira's mental presence go dark, which meant that, thanks to being the opposite of Newtype powers, he had gone into SEED Mode. Wondering why he had gone into SEED Mode Flay expanded her Newtype senses, but she couldn't detect anyone who could have prompted it. Her SEED throbbed again, making Flay wince at the pain from it. Looking up, the SEED-type had to wonder if there was something that she was missing. When her SEED throbbed a third time, Flay decided to take a chance and activate her SEED.

Reaching for that feeling of fury, her pale blue SEED exploded in her mind's eye with a red vertical ring around it as it spun and did so. Her eyes glazed over, the pupils becoming mere pinpricks against her irises, and then the patterns began to emerge. However, as soon as that happened, Flay gasped as she saw an almost spectral form over Johnny's body, and it looked an awful lot like the god of Thunder she had heard about in her home dimension. _'What the... hell...?'_ Flay was speechless.

She knew, without a doubt, she was seeing the form of Thor, the Norse god. Flay felt somewhat weak - no, she felt insignificant - in the presence of Thor. However, as soon as she saw Johnny fly past where she was sitting, Flay gasped as her SEED-dilated eyes made eye contact with the spectral image of Thor.

Then, Flay felt an odd feeling, like Thor's spectral form was... _smiling_ at her. She could not see it, but she could _sense_ it, and that was what was odd. As suddenly as it appeared, the feeling was gone, just as Johnny flew past her completely. Flay watched the fight, in SEED Mode the whole time. When Johnny won, Flay's SEED went dormant again, making her sigh as she closed her eyes. When she opened them again, her eyes were back to normal. _'What happened there? And what was that I saw...?'_

However, before she could ponder things further, Flay jumped when she heard Mayor Sebben's voice. _'Ah... slag...'_

She turned around, only to see the Mayor there. "Uh... hello, sir."

Mayor Sebben wasn't looking too happy that she had been there, but he didn't mention anything since he had expected her to just head home for the day.

"I thought you wanted to head home." The Mayor said as he looked at her. Flay felt nervous, but she didn't show it.

"Well... I wanted to check out the fights. Alex told me they were happening, so I figured I could come and see them myself." Flay replied.

Mayor Sebben nodded. "I see. Well, I can't blame you since this is very rare to see."

Flay sighed mentally, sure she was off the hook.

However, the way the mayor was looking at her made the Natural feel quite uncomfortable, like he wanted to reveal something big but was torn on the issue for reasons only he knew.

* * *

For his part, Mayor Sebben was looking at Fiona, if that was even her real name, and he felt torn. On one hand, he _could_ out her and Alex as being not from this dimension and as who they truly were, but on the other, it seemed like things were changing because these guys had arrived from their home dimension, and it was in a good way too.

If he outed them now, he had seen the future, and it was not a good one. However, if they were outed later, the future could also turn bad. But at the same time, if they were revealed at _just_ the right moment, that one peaceful future everyone yearned for would come true. The only problem was, he _didn't_ know when that time was.

_'They are the nexus...'_ Mayor Sebben reminded himself. _'However, they _have_ to be outed on their own, well before Sammael finds out their true identities.'_

It was a hard choice, but Mayor Sebben had to plan for this revelation, and subtly tip things into that direction. Normally he would just let things play out and give the right guidance, but this time, he had to take action himself and give the unit the chance to reveal themselves, but it _had_ to be timed just right, and before Cree made that one mistake that would reveal their identities to Sammael, albeit unwillingly.

It would take time, but it could work if done right. Or so the mayor hoped.

* * *

**Van Kleiss's Lair**

Just before the _Steelhaven_ could launch, alarms inside the base sounded, making 1st Lt. Amalfi and Commander Lockheed look up in shock. Ultra Magnus also looked up, a frown on his faceplates. "That doesn't sound good."

_"We've been found out!"_ Nicol shouted as the Neo Blitz stood up from its kneeling position.

Outside the ship, drones were coming to try and take down the intruders.

_"What should we do?"_ Derek asked as he looked at the Wrecker beside him.

Ultra Magnus grunted as he stood up as well, the rest of his crew now awake and on his side. Prowl, the best strategist and tactician of the team on the ship, looked at Magnus. "If I may suggest, perhaps we could use the ship's guns to attack and then activate the jump-slip drive to get out of here."

Derek looked back at Prowl with the Raptor's optics. _"And risk bringing drones with us? No way. Besides, Nicol did a check of the drive and it's offline right now."_

Ultra Magnus looked at Nicol. "What do _you_ think we should do?" He was asking because, although Zero Squadron did some pretty crazy things that didn't seem like they would work, those tactics always seemed to work out in the end.

Nicol looked down as a plan came to his mind. Then, he had it. He looked back up. _"Here's the plan. We use the ship's guns to blast the door, while Derek and I stand on the outside of the ship and fire on the drones. Once the doors are open, engage the engines and we can get out of here. Derek and I can hop back inside the ship before you get to full speed."_

Prowl blinked his optics. While he wanted to say just how low a chance of success they had, somehow, Zero Squadron always seemed to pull off the impossible. But he still felt it was best they knew anyway. "The plan you suggested has only a 15.958% chance of success."

Derek just gave Prowl a smirk, even if it wasn't visible. _"Yeah, but that means there's just a 84.842% chance we could mess up. Now if it was a 0.0001% chance of success, we would be worried, but since it's higher, we have a chance where we feel comfortable about our chances."_

Prowl sighed as he shook his helm. But, he had to admit, some chance of success was better than none.

* * *

**Dimension M-010**

_Four forms ran through the sewers, looking for their friend. "What do you mean you can't track him?!" A male voice, but with a metallic edge snapped at another form, but female in build._

_"_You're_ the one with the more accurate radar!" The female form snapped back, her voice also holding a metallic edge to it._

_"Yeah, but only when the limiter is removed!" The male form countered._

_"Enough!" The third form, a young male, exclaimed. "Don't get on her case! She can't help it if her radar isn't working."_

_The first male form grumbled as he crossed his arms. "Well, _sorry_!"_

_"Can't we just focus on finding him?!" The last form, a young female, groaned._

_The second male form sighed. "Okay... I think I know how we can find him." The second male form then held up a card as he lifted his left arm. "This will release the limiter program." With that, he swiped his ID card across the gauntlet/tablet he wore on his left arm. The screen lit up, revealing the words _'Limiter Released'_. As soon as that happened, the words faded to reveal functions of some kind appearing on the screen next._

_When the images of the functions faded, the first male form felt a familiar sensation in his processors. "Radar's up and running!" He grinned. As soon as he said those words, his radar began to ping off of a very familiar presence. "I'm picking up his signal."_

_"Really? That's great!" The second female form exclaimed. "Where is he?"_

_"This way!" The first male form exclaimed as he turned and ran down another tunnel in the sewers. After running for a little while, the foursome came to a stop by a ladder. The first male form looked up at the hatch above them. "He's up above us."_

_The first female form began to climb up the ladder, slowly opening the hatch. It was an entrance to a secret base. She looked around, trying to find anyone not familiar to her. There were men and women in rubber suits with an antenna on the top of the hood all milling around, walking down halls and into rooms. She ducked back down and closed the hatch._

_"Bad news. We have Rubbers around." The first female form reported down to the threesome below her._

_"Aw man!" The first male form groaned. Then an idea hit him. "Hey, can I climb up?"_

_The second female form smacked the first male form. "No way! _You_ would be recognizable instantly!"_

_"I wasn't going to _go_ inside!" The first male form exclaimed._

_"No, she's right. Even just peeking through would give you away." The second male form noted, tapping on the first male form's missile launcher tower._

_The tapping made the first male form grumble, but he did relent. "Fine..."_

_The first female form opened the hatch again, only to see there were no more humans in the area for now. Slowly, and cautiously, she climbed out._

_Looking around, she deemed it was safe. "We're clear for now."_

_The other three forms climbed out, the first male form emerging last. He shut the hatch quietly, standing up as soon as the task was done._

_As they made their way down the hall, the first male form stopped as he raised his head slightly. "Wait..." He said, making the other three look back. "We're not alone."_

_Sure enough, ahead of them was another rubber-suited man, but the man was too busy moping about how he had to watch over a prisoner._

_The second female form glared at the first female form. "Way to go... Now we're going to get spotted for sure!"_

_"Don't blame me for my radar being out of commission!" The first female form squeaked._

_The second male form pushed the two females apart. "Okay, we don't need this. We will get spotted for sure if you two start arguing."_

_The first male form peered around the corner carefully. The rubber-suited man paced around in front of what looked like a room, but there was no way to tell what, or who, was in that room because the door had only a small window to peer in from, and he could not see what was inside because he was shorter than the window's height._

_A frown crossed the first male form's face as he pulled back. "The grunt's guarding a door, but I can't tell who, or what, is inside." He reported to his three companions._

_The first female form frowned as well. "Then what do we do?"_

_The second female form grinned as she held up her camera. "I know~!"_

_Her three companions felt nervousness entering their bodies at hearing her tone, namely the second male form. "Oh crap..."_

_As soon as he said that, the second female form shoved a wig onto her friend's head before shoving him out into plain view. The rubber-suited man looked back and saw the second male form before pulling out a gun. "Hey! You! Get back here!" The rubber-suited man exclaimed as the second male form began to run, only for a familiar form to drop down in front of the rubber-suited man._

_The first male form stood up, twin green optics glinting dangerously as the telescopic lenses locked onto him. A smirk crossed the first male form's facial plating, making the rubber-suited man pale at the sight of him. "Aw c'mon! Not you again!"_

_Before the rubber-suited man, the first male form cracked his metallic knuckles. "I thought you might remember me." He said with that smirk in place._

_There was nothing but silence for a minute, only for the sound of bullets firing to erupt from down the hall._

_Smoke cleared, revealing the rubber-suited man, but with his form outlined in bullet holes. There were a few bullet wounds on the man as well, but none that were lethal. The man was shaking as the first male form walked up and grabbed his rubber suit, yanking the man's face close to his own. "Now, you will tell us what we want to know."_

_"W-what do you mean?" The rubber-suited man whimpered._

_"I will only ask once. Where. Is. He?!" The first male form growled out, low and menacingly._

_The rubber-suited man whimpered and pointed down the hall. "D-down there! Third door f-from left!"_

_The first male form growled. "I don't buy it. Where. Is. He?!"_

_"Okay! The door I was assigned to guard! That's where he is!" The rubber-suited man whined. "The higher-ups are inside as well! They want his Rare Medal!"_

_The first male form dropped the thug. "Then that makes our job much easier."_

_The second female form knocked the thug out with her camera, making the two male forms snicker as the first female form blinked. "Why did you do that?"_

_"Can't have him spilling everything about us being here, right?" The second female form answered with a smirk._

_The four forms made their way to the door, each ready to face off against the ones who took their friend captive._

* * *

_Inside the room, twin red optics were locked on the four rubber-suited humans around him. He was strapped down securely, and he was unable to move his limbs. It didn't help he was drained from using _it_ as well._

_"Now, soon, your Medal will be ours, and with it, all of its power." The tallest rubber-suited man sneered._

_"Yes, and then no one will be able to stop the most powerful branch of Meda-Hunters, The Rubber-Robo Gang!" The tiniest rubber-suited man added gleefully._

_He just narrowed his red optics at the human, but didn't say a word. Why would he, when his demise was inevitable?_

_But before the gang could get to work taking him apart, the door was blown open by an explosion. "What the?!" The tiny man squealed._

_"Alright, Rubber-losers! It's time to say goodnight!" A familiar voice exclaimed as the smoke cleared, showing a form rushing towards them. Out from the smoke came the first male form, green optics glinting dangerously as he lunged towards the four rubber-suited humans._

_"Aw, c'mon! Him?!" The tallest human exclaimed in exasperation. "It's bad enough we get beaten by the Select Corp, but this guy?! He's like a leech we can't get rid of!"_

_His red optics widened as he saw his friend, who looked back with a cocky smirk. "Don't ya worry, bud! We'll get ya out of here!"_

_The first female form ran over to his side, her pinkish optics glinting as she studied his restraints. "This should be simple to override."_

_"Then hurry!" The green-optic-bearing form snapped. "I don't know how long we have before they send in the numbers."_

_The first female form nodded, getting to work. Her hands moved over the keyboard, finding the password easily. "The password is 'Rubber-Robos Rule'."_

_The green-opticed form snorted, trying to keep in his laughter. "Really? These guys need to work on their security."_

_"Hey! That password's my idea!" The single rubber-suited woman exclaimed._

_"Yeah? You really need to update to bio-metrics then." The green-opticed form snickered._

_The second male form sighed. "Can't we focus on the mission?"_

_The first male form snickered, but agreed. "Alright, I can do that."_

_He was released, the first female form walking over to him and helping him up to his feet._

_"Are you okay?" She asked as he nodded._

_"Yes... Thank you..." He replied, his deep voice somewhat raspy._

_"Alright, then let's get outta here!" The green-opticed form exclaimed, but before they could, the tiny rubber-suited man began to chuckle evilly, making the five of them uneasy. The first male form frowned. "Okay... What's shorty laughing about?"_

_"Why, it's simple." The tiny human sneered. "You _will_ be leaving, but _without_ our prize!"_

_"What? Whaddya mean?!" The first male form snapped._

_"THIS!" The tiny man exclaimed as he held up a remote with a big red button on it. "This teleporter will take you right out!" With that, he pressed the button, just as light and electricity erupted around the five. All of them cried out, with the two humans amongst their small group feeling it badly while the remainder of the group of five felt it the worst._

_But before they could be transported out, a large opening appeared and enveloped the five before closing with a loud _BANG_. When the smoke cleared, there was no sign of the four intruders, nor their prize..._

* * *

**GF-007**

At the ruins, on the _Constitution_, Heero was sitting in his room, Cree Lincoln before him. The admiral had his dark blue eyes shut in thought as he pondered what he could tell the Faunus before him.

Finally, his eyes opened and he locked gazes with Cree. "Let's get down to business." Heero said as he removed his hands from in front of his mouth. "I am going to tell you this once; as of late, my team and I have been getting suspicious that someone is planning to use your chance to leave against us."

Cree tensed up. "Yeah... That sounds like something Sammael would do."

Heero frowned at hearing that. "So you think Sammael is on to us."

"Yes." Cree replied. "He has seen much in his lifetime, and let me tell you, while it is not confirmed, it is rumored he is over 50,000 years old."

Heero's eyes went wide upon hearing that. _'We're fighting a being that's over 50 millennia in age?! No wonder we are seeming to be outmatched!'_ However, as quickly as the surprise came onto his face, it faded.

Leaning back, the admiral sighed as he ran a hand over his face. "So that's part of how he does it..."

Cree was confused, but didn't ask any questions regarding the comment.

Heero removed his hand from his face before he gave Cree another glance. "In light of this, we will have to adjust our strategy regarding your betrayal."

"And how will you do that?" Cree asked.

Heero sighed. "That, sadly, we cannot reveal. But what I _can_ tell you is that your part remains the same. _However_, if you for _any_ reason suspect the information you find to send us is false, do _not_ send it. Instead, just let the transmitter do the work. As I explained, the ID chip you will be given will record and transmit the data to us through the mic and camera."

"And it will also alert you to if I will betray _you_." Cree surmised.

Heero gave a nod. "Correct." He then closed his eyes again. "I suspect Sammael may try to use our own plans against us, which is why you will _not_ be told much about our home dimension, just that we are from one that was attacked by him and his Fallen."

Cree frowned upon hearing that. "I see..."

* * *

**Townsville**

A 14-year-old boy yawned as the famed _shinkansen_ of Japan rolled into the area of Little Tokyo, the island off the coast of Japan. Tsuranuki Daimonyama gave another yawn as he watched the city of Townsville coming into view. His mother, as well as the cover reason he was going there, had been called up to help open a new branch of their construction company in Townsville, so that meant he was going with her.

As it was, Tsuranuki was also on a mission, which was the actual reason he was going to Townsville. Yes, he was one of the famed _Shinkalions_, the defenders of Japan itself. Or, as the cover story went, aliens from another world who had arrived and were looking to help protect their newly adopted home from the Grimm.

The boy sat up, seeing the station for Townsville pulling into view. His _Shinkalion_ frame, the E7 Kagayaki, was the engine that was pulling in the cars that he, his mother, and the other passengers were riding in.

Once the train came to a halt, the doors opened and the Daimonyama family emerged onto the platform. Mrs. Daimonyama smiled as she took in the sights of the city all around them. "Well, we made it."

Tsuranuki looked around as well. While not that impressive to him, he had to admit, the city did have a few things going for it, namely the fact that the buildings were designed to collapse outward so no one inside got hurt.

Looking around again, Tsuranuki saw the cab that would take his mother and siblings to the hotel. He looked at his mom. "Hey, mom? Can I walk around the city a bit?"

Mrs. Daimonyama looked down at her eldest son. "And why do you want to do that alone?"

Tsuranuki groaned to himself. "Mom, I will be careful. I have my cell to call for help if anything happens."

As much as she wanted her son to come with her, she knew he could handle himself. She also knew he was a _Shinkalion_, so it also had to do with a mission no doubt. Sighing, Mrs. Daimonyama agreed. "Very well. Just... be careful."

Truranuki nodded with a smile.

As soon as he ran off, Tsuranuki finally relaxed. He could now go about learning the layout of the city himself. However, before he could get any further from the station, a loud explosion hit his hearing and made the boy wince. He turned, only to see two girls hovering in the air above what looked like a cloud of smoke. Tsuranuki frowned as he narrowed his eyes. He could see the two girls, but barely. One had red hair and one had blonde hair, which made him realize those two had to be Blossom and Bubbles, two of the famous Powerpuff Girls. The smoke below the two girls was clearing, and Tsuranuki swore to himself when he saw what was being concealed amongst the smoke. It looked like a mech that was based off of a steam engine, but more monkey-like, or gorilla-like depending on how he looked at it.

Then, Tsuranuki heard the voice that came from the steam mecha. _"Hahaha! You Powerpuffs are no match for my, Mojo Jojo, and my mecha, the Jojo Buster!"_

That made Tsuranuki realize the mecha was piloted, and apparently by one of the villains within Townsville.

Growling to himself, he looked around for a place to hide so he could initiate the LinkUp. Then, Tsuranuki saw a good place. He ran over to the shaded area and lay down against the tree trunk before he closed his eyes and focused on the Link Node. The thin tendril he latched onto, and then everything went black.

Tsuranuki felt his systems coming online, and he smirked to himself, albeit mentally. He was successfully hooked up to the E7 Kagayaki.

He felt his front and rear engines disconnect from the rest of the _shinkansen_, linking up. The rear engine opened to reveal a pair of legs, each leg protected by the outer shell of the rear engine. His treads snapped into position on either side of his ankles. He sensed the rear of the front engine opening as the front shifted its position to become his chest and lower torso. His arms extended from the rear of the front engine and locked into position, his hands clenching as his shovel guards came down to protect against strikes to the hands. His head finally emerged, and his green-yellow optics flared online as he grasped his drill in one hand. He pressed the trigger and the drill spun a bit before he held it out to the side. The mecha smirked mentally. He was no longer Tsuranuki, but rather Esebu, one of the six 'aliens' who came to Earth, and the leader of the team as well.

_'Time to see how ol' steamy there stands up to a Shinkalion!'_ He thought with a bit of excitement.

* * *

**GrimmFall**

Akira watched as the next matches began. He had been alerted to the new match format and was now getting ready to observe the matches. But there was an unexpected bonus to this as well. _'It will be interesting to see how Mayor Sebben battles.'_ Akira thought with a bit of a smirk.

At the same time, the thought of the teamwork idea made him think. Zero Squadron, back in his home dimension, had some of the best teamwork to date, but yet here they could not show it off, mainly because they were not allowed to use their Gundams, which was where they excelled.

"I wonder what would happen if we encountered a Grimm that forced us to..." Akira mused to himself. However, he knew that anything could happen here, and a battle like that was no doubt incoming down the road. _'But _when_ is the main issue...'_

* * *

**Gravity Falls**

Two more forms dropped out of a portal, one a young male form with brown hair that stuck up in the bangs and green eyes. He wore a red hoodie with a yellow T-shirt under it, blue jean shorts, white socks and red and black sneakers. The mecha he was with had a red cape, teal blue eyes on a yellow eyescreen background, and wore white armor with blue accents on it. His chest armor was blue with a green Soul Stone on it, his shoulder guards were blue with a white rim, and he had a helmet that had wing-like protrusions from it on the sides and two golden wings on the front, surrounding a green gem His faceplate had dual slats that lit up blue when he spoke as well.

These two were Zero the Winged Knight and Shute Marxworth, the last two members of the Gundam Force to arrive.

"Ugh... Ow..." Shute groaned as he sat up. He rubbed his head. "Wow... Who would have thought we would be so far from the others?"

Zero groaned as he sat up as well, rubbing his backside where he had hit the ground. "That was quite an undignified landing for a knight of my status." He muttered grumpily.

"Aw, don't be such a grump, Zero." Shute chuckled.

Zero just rolled his blue eyes as he stood up. "That is beside the point, Shute."

Now on his feet, the Winged Knight frowned to himself. "It's odd."

"Huh?" Shute looked at Zero in confusion. "What's odd?"

"The Mana here... It's... disrupted somehow. And it feels like it's... dying." Zero murmured as Shute's eyes went wide.

"What?!" The boy was astounded.

The Knight Gundam nodded. "As sad as it is, that is the truth." Zero confirmed. He then looked back up. "But I also sense something else is off here, and it is not in a good way either."

Shute frowned. "Yeah? Hmm..." He began to think before something caught his attention. He and Zero turned when they heard the brush moving, only to see some familiar forms.

* * *

Professor Pericles smiled as he cast his illusion on the two new arrivals. Pacifica had seen the portal opening and alerted him, so now they were being cast under his spell. He was aware of who these two were thanks to Pacifica and her father, so it would be fun to mess with the two.

"What do you think, Pacifica? Is this a good illusion?" The parrot asked.

"Oh, it's perfect!" Pacifica crowed. "It will be interesting to see how these two react!"

Professor Pericles chuckled at the comment. It would be fun indeed...

* * *

Shute and Zero were staring at the forms of Captain, Baku, and Rele before them. It was odd, because they were _sure_ the team had been split up by the DTD dropping them off!

"Captain, Baku, Rele?! What are you guys doing here?!" Shute exclaimed. He looked around for the last member of their team, but he didn't see the flying Gundam anywhere. "And where's Guneagle?"

"That fly-boy got lost." Baku replied in a nonchalant manner. "Not that it's anything I need to worry about."

Shute frowned at hearing that. He knew the Musha didn't like Guneagle, but to outright say he didn't need to worry about Guneagle's well-being was out of character for him; Baku would have insisted they go on a search and rescue mission to find Guneagle.

Zero frowned as well. "Princess?"

"It is fine, Zero." The princess replied. "He will find his way to us soon enough."

Shute looked at Captain, getting a bad feeling. "Captain? Should we go look for Guneagle?"

"Guneagle can handle himself, Shute." Captain replied. "He will find us eventually."

Shute frowned some more, knowing that while Captain was right, Guneagle was still just a rookie and therefore could get in over his head if not given the right back-up.

"Okay..." The boy said, feeling something was off.

* * *

**Dimensional space**

_Five forms were tumbling through space and time, all screaming out in terror._

_The first form's head was a golden color with a missile launcher tower that appeared to be shaped like a beetle's antenna and what looked like white-outlined vents on the sides. A silver mouthpiece that could retract and black optical visor were visible with twin green optics that had telescopic lenses visible on them as well. The chest plate was silvery-white with golden sides, and a golden back with a white location for the Medal hatch. The arms were a silvery white color on the bottom of the forearms and golden on the top of the forearms. The upper arms were silver as well. Two golden shoulder-pads, almost square in shape with what looked like 4 claw-like white parts on them, were visible too. On the back of them were black extensions, one per shoulder. The waist had a silvery white part and a part that looked like a lower stomach guard, outlined in gold with a white interior, and a golden part that looked like the same on the back, but longer by just an inch. It circled around from the hips and protected them as well, but not by much. The upper legs were silver and the lower legs were covered in boxy armor that was golden while on the rear of the lower legs were what looked to be tank treads. The feet were silvery white with a black toe on either side, and the hands were silver as well. The right arm had what appeared to be a revolver drum coming from it partly while the left arm had what appeared to be six exhaust ports, three per side, on it. All weapon launchers were black to complete the appearance while red accents on the lower legs, back shoulder guard extensions, and weapons all stood out as well. There were even two smaller 'tubes' on the helm, complete with red accents as well. Those were some sort of transmission antennae._

_The second form was human, with black hair and blue eyes. The form also wore a dark blue blazer with a white shirt on and dark blue pants. On his left arm was a golden fingerless glove that went up to his elbow and had a matching tablet on it. Reaching out, the two males clasped hands, so as to not get separated._

_Beside them, the two female forms did the same thing, but when both groups reached for the final form, their last companion was gone. Looking back, the first form's optics went wide when he saw his two female friends disappear as well. He grasped his friend's hand tighter so they didn't get separated as well. And that proved to be a good thing, as the next thing they knew, everything went white before fading to black._

* * *

**GF-007, Van Kleiss's Lair**

Two forms were dumped out, the male human groaning. "Ow..." He sat up. "Those damn Rubber-Robos…"

"You're telling me!" The mech said as he got to one knee and retracted his faceplate, revealing a mouth underneath it on a silvery-white face. "They tricked us!"

"But how did they send us through that thing? And where _did_ we end up anyway?" The male human asked as he looked around. He was seeing what looked like a room filled with some kind of pods.

His mecha friend didn't like the looks of the place though, as it reminded him too much of the Rubber-Robo Gang's main hideout. "It looks like an off-shoot of the main hideout of those Rubber-freaks."

"Gee, ya think, Metabee?" The male human grumbled.

The mech, now revealed to be named Metabee, grunted. "We need to find a way out of here, Ikki."

Ikizu Tenryou, aka Ikki, nodded. "Yeah, but how?"

Before his friend could answer, Metabee paused when he saw a young girl inside one of the pods. "Hey, Ikki! Over here!"

Ikki ran over, only to stare in shock at what his Medabot partner had found. "W-wha… What is going on here?!"

"What is the meaning of this?!"

The unknown voice made the two jump and whirl around. There, behind them, was a man that had black and white hair with brown eyes and pale skin. He wore a slightly tattered brown coat and black boots with grey pants and a yellow buckle belt, while donning a black shirt with thin white stripes and equipped with a yellow mechanical arm with injectors on it.

"Scrap..." Metabee hissed as he slid his faceplate back on.

Ikki stood at the ready as well, holding up his left arm with the tablet on it.

The trio stood each other down, each from another world.

"Well, it would appear I have two more intruders." The man sneered. He held up his mechanical left arm and then launched it at the duo, but Metabee took action by darting in front of Ikki. The mechanical arm extended out, surprising the Medabot. Spines extended from the fingers and that forced Metabee to throw up his arms to deflect the blow. Thankfully, due to his durable armor, the blow didn't penetrate like they would have had he been using the standard civilian model armor. He grunted as he was pushed back by the blow, his feet skidding on the ground for a few feet before the arm retracted.

The man perked up upon seeing that. "Well now, this is interesting. Perhaps I should capture you two and study your mechanical companion there."

"Like _hell_ you will!" Metabee snapped back. "I won't let you do that to either me, or my friend!"

The man just chuckled. "I believe I have the advantage here." He then held up his arm again and fired it off once more, the hand glowing. Seeing that, Ikki gasped, but his Medabot companion was quick to attack.

Metabee fired off his laser submachine gun, startling the man as the laser shots hit his mechanical left arm. The arm was forced to retract as Metabee kept up the shooting.

The man grunted as this light appeared around him, blocking the laser shots.

Metabee and Ikki both gasped as they saw that. "What the hell?!" They both exclaimed as one.

Their opponent just chuckled again. "This, my dear foes, is my defense, known as an Aura."

Ikki growled to himself. "An Aura?"

"Something you won't live to learn about." The man said as he held up his hand again.

Metabee looked at Ikki with a hidden smirk. "You thinking what I'm thinking?"

The human looked at the Medabot and nodded with a smirk of his own. "Yeah."

"Alright! Laser Fuser!" Ikki ordered as Metabee fired off his revolver-type weapon on his other arm. The shots, while slower in firing rate, packed more power. The shots hit the man's Aura-thing again, but he was forced to take a step or two back for every two shots that hit him.

The man grunted with every two blows, but it wasn't enough to stop him.

Seeing that, Ikki frowned. _'We need to find a way to distract this guy and get that girl out of here.'_

He began to rack his brains for any ideas. Looking up and around, the Meda-Fighter didn't see anything at first, but then his eyes landed on a console not that far off. _'Wait a minute...'_

Ikki looked to Metabee. "Hey! I have an idea."

Metabee looked back. "What?"

"Just trust me on this." Ikki said. Metabee frowned, but he knew he could trust Ikki's ideas, so he didn't ask what it was.

Two more shots from Metabee's Laser Fuser were all that he had left and when those two were spent, his revolver weapon clicked uselessly. "Damn! I'm outta ammo!"

"Perfect." Ikki purred. "Get ready. Aim off to your left."

Metabee looked in that direction before he heard the one command he knew would seal any battle back in their home world. "Fire your missiles!"

A smirk crossed his face beneath his faceplate at hearing that. "You got it!" He planted his feet before turning his head and squaring his shoulders. "MISSILES LAUNCH!"

Two warheads sped out from the launcher on his head and towards the console. The man saw where they were headed and jumped in front of the warheads, his Aura-thing the only defense he had to deflect the missiles. Metabee and Ikki turned away to face the pod with the girl inside it. She had a green and white outfit on as well as black hair.

As they exploded behind the duo, Metabee then aimed his laser submachine gun and fired it at the pod's latches, which caused the pod door to fall down to the floor.

Ikki reached in and picked up the girl. "Okay. Let's bolt!"

"Right behind ya." Metabee said as he turned and ran after his Meda-Fighter.

* * *

Van Kleiss groaned as the smoke subsided from the explosion. He was lucky his Aura had held out against those warheads. "For something so small, they pack quite the punch..." He grunted as he stood up. However, as soon as he was on his feet, his eyes went wide at seeing the now-empty pod of Butercup Utonium. "NO!"

The EVO was furious with the duo who had stolen the Powerpuff Girl from him. "They tricked me!"

Van Kleiss frowned to himself before a sneer came to his face. "But I can still keep them here..." He began to type away at the console, looking to entrap the two. Sadly, he didn't expect them to have a power that he didn't foresee.

* * *

Metabee and Ikki were running down the halls, relying on Metabee's radar to find the exit. "How much further?" Ikki asked before Metabee spoke up.

"Another five yards and we will come to the main entrance." The Medabot replied.

Sure enough, the duo found the main entrance, but the door was sealed shut.

"W-wha… h-how did it get shut so quickly?!" Ikki stammered out.

"I'll bet my Medal it was that extendable arm guy." Metabee growled.

"So... how do we get out then?" Ikki asked.

Metabee looked at the door and did a scan of it using his sensors. "I think we can blast through it, but it will require a _big_ boost, if you know what I mean."

Ikki frowned to himself. He knew what that meant alright. "Are you sure? You _know_ the results of that can affect _both_ of us!"

"Yeah, I know. But it's the only choice we have." Metabee said grimly, no pun intended.

Ikki sighed. "Okay... If we have to, we will."

The two of them then began to focus on one thing, and one thing only. As soon as they did that, they felt it happen. Ikki began to sense Metabee's thoughts, his feelings, _everything_ about his friend, all while remaining in his own body. At the same time, Metabee began to sense Ikki's thoughts, his feelings, _everything_ about him, while remaining in his own body as well. Known as Synchronization, this was the state where a Medabot and Meda-Fighter could sense their counterpart's intentions, feelings, and thoughts, all while being unable to actually read the other's mind.

As soon as Ikki and Metabee synchronized, a glow began to come from Metabee's back hatch as a golden light came from around him, and both opened their eyes and optics. Metabee then aimed his arms at the door. "MEDA-FORCE!"

The power of the blast sped towards the door, blowing it open as soon as it made contact.

Ikki and Metabee didn't even wait for the smoke to clear, as they just rushed through it and to the outside.

* * *

In his control room, Van Kleiss let out a howl of anger. "How could those two have done that!?" He was referring to blasting open the door, which was one foot thick, with a mere laser like that.

Safe to say, it was no mere laser that had done that, and Van Kleiss wanted to get to the bottom of how they had done it.

* * *

Outside the lair, Metabee and Ikki were just running, not even bothering to stop. They just wanted to get away from the area. However, after a while, Metabee was forced to rely on the tank treads on the backs of his legs, Ikki riding on his Medabot friend's back with Metabee carrying the girl in his arms.

"How long do you think we can keep going?" Ikki asked as he looked at Metabee.

"Not much longer..." The KBT-type Medabot answered in a tired voice.

"Just a bit longer..." Ikki said, feeling the same exhaustion. That was the downside to Synchronization; if a Medabot used the Meda-Force, then the Meda-Fighter also felt the drain.

However, before the two could get any further, Metabee finally fell to the ground, passing out from using all of his power in one blast. Ikki landed next to his Medabot's side, the girl falling from Metabee's arms to the ground as well. All three lay there as some forms came up on them.

"Hey! We have some people here!" A young man exclaimed. "Six!"

The older man, known as Six, came up. "Good work Rex." He said as he looked them over. He knelt down next to one of the threesome, the kid in what looked to be a Japanese school uniform. "Hmm... They appear to be unconscious from exhaustion. At least the two humans do."

Rex got down by the robot with the two kids. "I think the robot is offline due to power drain as well."

Six looked at Rex. "Can you see if the two kids are..."

Rex didn't need to hear the whole thing, as he began to scan the two kids. They came up clean of EVO nanites. "Both kids are clean."

Six nodded. "Good."

* * *

**GrimmFall**

_"The last thing we need is for Van Kleiss making new_ EVOs."

Agunimon couldn't help but be a bit worried for Kazemon, considering who she was up against. But he knew that Valhallen was a literal god, so she would be quite safe with him around. Or so he hoped.

* * *

**Zero and Shute wind up in Gravity Falls while Tsuranuki heads to Little Tokyo for a mission, just as five more newcomers come in, with two of them rescuing Buttercup from Van Kleiss's lair. At the same time, the _Steelhaven_ prepares to escape while Akira and Flay begin to ponder if their SEEDs are adapting to this new world. What will happen next? Read on to find out~! :3 **


	13. Tale of Two Heights II

**Here is another chapter~! :3**

**CT7567Rules: Um... Captain is too small to combine with Wing Saber... ^^' But I am glad you like it. :)**

**GCD: You will like, trust me. ;)**

**merendinoemiliano: Trust me, I have no plans to add in any more series. I am full up. ^^'**

**nightmaster000: Believe me, it will get tense in O-000 when word of this gets out, but not outright hatred, as remember, this is in the aftermath of two wars that almost wiped out the human race because of intolerance. As for the Meda-crew, Yeah, things will be interesting for them indeed. :3 And I am glad you like the things I am doing for the Gundam Force. :3**

**Lord Maximus: It will get interesting for sure. :3**

**Titanic X: Glad you like it. :)**

**D.N. Works: He may be, but given what he has seen, it's kind of not much of a surprise. :/**

**Note: If any readers have an account, then please review using your account please. If you are too lazy to log in, then at least leave your account name so I can know who you are. If any reader does not have an account, then at least use a **consistent** name when reviewing so I can respond in a more personal manner, as the name 'Guest' does not seem too personable to me.**

_***"Cybertronian"***_

* * *

_***Files Accessed***_

_**File 3:**__** Mana**_

_The life force of the Earth, Mana is what gives everything its life. From the trees down to the animals, it flows through everything, connected together by what are known as lei-lines, which are channels that Mana flows through. While able to be tapped by certain individuals, these people are mistaken as witches, when in fact they are not, being closer to mages in actual skill and power._

_Two individuals, Princess Relehimana and her loyal Knight Gundam Zero, are able to tap and use Mana, with both of them having exceptional power when it comes to the strength output of said Mana usage._

**_File 4:__ Meda-Force_**

_A mysterious power that lays dormant in Medals used by Medabots, this strange energy is only able to be tapped when a Meda-Fighter and Medabot reach a state known as Synchronization. Because both parties involved need to be able to reach this state, there is what is called the Compatibility Factor Rate, or CF Rate for short. The human and Medabot pairs that reach this state are called Synchros, meaning they have just the right wavelengths to sync with each other. While most would assume the Meda-Force can only be tapped by Synchros who have Medabots with Rare Medals, in reality, any Medabot that synchronizes with a human can tap the Meda-Force._

_One such Synchro team is Erika and her Medabot Brass. The other Synchro team is Ikki and Metabee._

_There are rumors going around of a special class of Medal that can tap the Meda-Force without the help of a Synchro human however..._

* * *

**Nowhere, Kansas**

Metabee groaned as he felt his systems coming back online. His memory files were a bit fuzzy before they started to clear up and defrag themselves, causing him to remember fighting against the crazy extendable-arm guy and then running out with not only Ikki, but a girl who had been the man's prisoner. At that, his green optics shot open as he bolted upright. Looking around himself, the KBT-type Medabot saw he was in some kind of small camp, and he was apparently inside a tent of some kind. Confused as to how he got there, Metabee glanced around before his green optics landed on the still form of Ikki. A slight gasp of concern escaped Metabee as he managed to get to his hands and knees, crawling over to his Meda-Fighter. "Ikki? Hey, wake up! Ikki!"

He shook the human's shoulder, which caused Ikki to wake up. His blue eyes opened as he sat up, rubbing at his head. "Ugh... I didn't think using it would drain so much from me..." He then saw his Medabot partner next to him. "Metabee?"

The KBT-type Medabot felt relief flooding his systems. "I was worried you were going to be out of it there for a while." Metabee joked, although it didn't really come off as such despite his best efforts.

Ikki gave a grin to the Medabot. He knew Metabee better than anyone else, and while they _could_ have a 'somewhat' violent relationship, they would never _really_ hurt each other.

However, it was then that Ikki remembered the girl. "Ah! The girl! Is she alright?!"

Metabee smacked his face with an open hand when he remembered that. "Ugh... great... _Now_ that very question gets asked..."

Before either could make a move to find out about the girl though, the tent flap opened, making both Medabot and Meda-Fighter look back at the one who was in the entrance of the tent.

* * *

**GrimmFall**

Akira watched as the fight commenced, his eyes all on Mayor Sebben more than the other three combatants. As the fight went on, Akira could see the mayor pull of several feats that seemed impossible. Wondering if his SEED would allow him to see what was going on, Akira made to activate his SEED Factor, but he then felt a throbbing in his head, indicating that his SEED was no longer capable of being called upon for some time. Aki' panted as he removed his hand from his head and looked up. _'Guess I can't call upon my SEED for the remainder of the day...'_

That was the downside to the SEED Factor. It could not be activated too many times, lest the user have less energy for when STAR Mode was needed.

Looking up again and concentrating a bit, Aki' tried to figure out what it was that was making Mayor Sebben move so quickly.

He just hoped he could figure out what it was, but if that was not possible, then it would be up to Flay to find out since she was there as well, observing at the same time.

* * *

Flay was indeed trying to figure it out, but only when she heard Raven speak up about what was really going on did she realize just how powerful the mayor himself was. The SEED-type gulped as she looked on at Mayor Sebben. _'Wow... No wonder he is considered one of the most powerful here...'_

However, upon hearing how Semblances worked, like a muscle almost, Flay perked up. She began to think. _'Hmmm... Semblances work like muscles...? Maybe... Could our SEEDs work in the same way? I mean, they _are_ part of us, right?'_ Then, her eyes grew wide slightly. _'Wait... If our SEEDs are part of us, then they would work like a Semblance! At least, in theory anyway. So, if that theory holds true, then our SEEDs _can_ get stronger! And as such, even our STAR Factor could get stronger as well. Or at least, the length of time we can use STAR Mode could increase beyond the time limit of one minute.'_

Looking up, Flay realized she would have to tell Akira this later on so it could be relayed to Heero and the rest of their unit.

* * *

Back in the control room, Akira saw the fight come to its end, and he could only wonder how strong Mayor Sebben really was. _'Well, whatever Flay learns will be interesting to say the least.'_ He mused with a serious look.

* * *

**Townsville**

Esebu ran out from his hiding spot before engaging his treads and speeding towards the towering train mech. **_"WHEELSET KORI__ DRIVER!"_ **His drill began to spin as his Aura began to stream off his frame and drill. Pressing the trigger three times released the Ice Dust from its dispensers in the drill, just as his Aura turned from tri-colored to a blue hue instead. The icy sheen of the ice Dust overtook the drill itself as well. Esebu channeled his Aura into the drill, streaming off of the weapon as he then thrust his drill forward, pushing off the ground and jumping up at the same time. His optics flared their greenish-yellow hue as he let a roar escape his vocalizer.

The drill weapon made contact with the large hand that had been about to grab the two Powerpuff Girls, coating the appendage in ice as well as doing some severe damage to it. Esebu landed, turning around so he could face the steam engine mecha as it flailed around, trying to get the ice off of its limb.

As soon as he landed, Blossom, the pink-haired Powerpuff, looked back at him in shock and confusion.

"H-w-who are you?!" Blossom asked in shock as Esebu stood up from his somewhat crouched position.

"Name's Esebu." The _Shinkalion_ introduced. But before the duo could get further acquainted, the steam train mecha finally got the ice off its hand, making both Esebu and Blossom look back in surprise.

Esebu growled to himself. "Seems the freezing trick didn't work as well as I thought." He hefted his drill again, only to pause when he saw the steam engine mech aim one of its arms, and out came a few missiles, stunning Esebu. "Oh... c-scrap..."

Jumping back, Esebu flared his tri-colored Aura just as the missiles impacted the ground where he had been a few second prior. The debris flung up pelted off his Aura, but it did no damage to his frame. He skidded along the ground for a moment before coming to a stop and looking up at the steam train mech, his greenish-yellow optics flaring with anger.

_"Who dares to interrupt me, Mojo Jojo, sworn enemy of the Powerpuff Girls?"_ The mecha bellowed as he eyed the _Shinkalion_ below him.

"That's for me to know, and you to not find out, bub!" Esebu snapped back. But before he could make a move to attack himself, Blossom and her sister, Bubbles, flew at the steam engine mech, intent on taking it out. Seeing this, Esebu tried to shout a warning, but it was no use. "Wait! Don't just rush in!"

The two girl heroes didn't hear his shout though, and soon they paid the price, as Bubbles was nabbed by one hand while Blossom was grabbed by the other. Both girls were held in his hands as hostages now.

Seeing this, Esebu growled angrily. _'Great... Now what do I do!?'_

* * *

**Nowhere Mountains**

Ikki and Metabee stared as a man wearing sunglasses came in. He was wearing an outfit they had never seen before, and his hair was short and black in color. "So you woke up, boy."

Not liking the way this man was speaking to Ikki, Metabee was on his feet in a flash and he looked ready to let loose with his weapons. "Hey, don't you go calling my pal 'boy', ya 'Men In Black' poser!"

Ikki, for his part, smacked his face with his hand at hearing Metabee's insults flying already. "Way to go, dim-bot..."

The man just frowned before he entered the tent fully. "It would seem you need to keep your robot in control, unless you programmed it to be insulting to everyone you meet."

At hearing that, Metabee's temper began to kick in, and he began to make that odd noise he seemed to make when he got mad. "WHAT?!" Metabee exclaimed. "You think I'm some pet?! I ain't anybody's pet, pal!" At that exclamation, laser shots began to fly, making Ikki sweat-drop.

The man looked mad as he reached for his gun, but Ikki spoke up. "Metabee, calm down! He doesn't know we're not from here!"

Hearing his Meda-Fighter's words, Metabee stopped his wild shooting. "Huh?"

"Think about it. Wherever we are, it's clear this man doesn't know we aren't from here." Ikki explained. He reached out and grabbed Metabee's right hand with his left and, due to their synchronized bond, was able to calm the temperamental Medabot down.

Metabee, upon sensing what Ikki was trying to tell him, took a deep breath and let it out, calming himself down. "Yeah... you're right." He then rubbed the back of his helm sheepishly. "Sorry, Ikki."

Ikki sighed before looking back at the man. "Sorry about his behavior. I thought we had gotten past that, but apparently not."

The man gave Ikki a look. "So I can see."

"He doesn't take well to being called a 'pet' or someone assuming that he is 'mine'." Ikki continued. "In fact, he is more like a brother to me than an object or possession."

The odd man looked at Metabee again. "And yet your 'brother' has weapons that could seriously hurt you? I do not see how you could assume you are safe."

Ikki looked at Metabee, and put an arm around the KBT-type's shoulders, pulling him close in a bro-hug as the human boy grinned. "This dim-bot wouldn't be able to hurt me, even if he does seem like it."

"Hey!" Metabee exclaimed as he was given a noogie by Ikki.

"How can you be so sure of that?" The man asked.

Ikki gave the man a serious look. "It's because I _know_ him. He would do _anything_ to protect me, and even if he _does_ fire on me, he _always_ misses with his lasers." Ikki had the feeling this man didn't need to know that Metabee had actual bullets and rockets as well as lasers.

Metabee then looked at the man. "Just who are you, anyway?" Ikki looked back at his Medabot/brother. He hadn't thought of that.

The man cleared his throat. "I am Agent Six." The man, Six, introduced as he looked at the duo.

The brothers blinked their eyes/optics. "Agent Six?" They asked as one.

Six, nodded. "Yes. That is my name."

Metabee wanted to make a quip, Ikki could tell, but to his secret relief, the KBT-type didn't let the temptation get the better of him. Six then faced the two again. "And what are your names."

"Ikizu Tenryou." Ikki introduced. "And this is Metabee." He pointed at the Medabot next to him.

"What did you mean you were not from around here?" Six asked, making Ikki and Metabee look at one another. Ikki then looked back at Six.

"Well... it's kind of an odd story to tell..." Ikki began before he sighed and began to tell the story.

* * *

**GrimmFall**

The match had ended a while ago, and Kazemon hadn't woken up yet. Agunimon was sitting by her side, his right hand holding her limp left one. Or rather, he had been, but after a while, he had wound up falling asleep, his head resting on his right forearm as a makeshift headrest of sorts. The Warrior of Flame was so deep in the grasp of sleep he didn't even hear Kazemon groan as she woke up. The Warrior of Wind rubbed her head, only to look around. She noted she was in the medical bay, only to feel something on her hand. Looking over, Kazemon was surprised to see Agunimon was there, but asleep, his hand holding her own.

She reached over and gently poked the male Digimon on the head, trying to get him to wake up. "Agunimon…? Wake up..."

The Warrior of Flame groaned a bit as he felt someone poking him on the head. His free hand moved up and groped around before it moved to her hand caught it before she could poke him again. Agunimon lifted his head slightly before he seemed to lose all sense of his previous drowsiness at seeing Kazemon was awake.

Both Digimon stared at one another for a brief moment, before Kazemon realized something. "Um... Are you going to let go of my hands soon or what?"

Looking down, Agunimon realized he was still holding both her hands and let go quite quickly. "Err... Sorry..." He made sure to look away, trying to hide his blush from her.

Both the Warriors of Flame and Wind didn't know what else to say at first, but then Agunimon found the strength to break the silence. "So... You... did good out there."

"Huh?" Kazemon looked at Agunimon. "I did? Even though I lost?"

Agunimon nodded as he looked back at her. "Yeah. You held your own against those two, and you reached your Beast Spirit form." He gave a smile to her. "That was quite the turn-around, even if for a short time."

Kazemon gave a slight blush upon hearing that. "Well... Ehehe… Thanks."

* * *

**Townsville**

Esebu was racking his processors for a plan on how to free the Powerpuff Girls, when he had one hit him, both literally and figuratively. The Jojo-Buster kicked a rock and it hit Esebu on the helm, making him grunt before he had his plan hit him. _'Wait! I got it!'_

He looked back at the rail-lines and smirked mentally. _'If he has the two girls in his grasp, then he can't outright attack with his hands at all! If that is the case, then, if my assumptions are correct and he can transform too, then he is stuck in his robot form. That means I can use my speed in _shinkansen_ form to my advantage!'_ Taking the chance, Esebu jumped from the street onto the rails, turning back into his _Shinkansen_ form. "Hey! Bet ya can't catch me!"

_"You will pay for that!"_ The pilot of the Jojo-Buster, Mojo Jojo, exclaimed. He had the Jojo-Buster stomp towards the sleek _Shinkansen_, which took off down the rails at high speed. The titanic mecha gave chase, but Esebu was already getting farther down the tracks and out of his range.

Or rather, Esebu was _allowing_ Mojo Jojo to chase him, as he was not going at full speed. _'Hehe... This guy is supposed to be a genius? He doesn't realize I am leading him into a trap!'_

Or so he thought. Before he could get further down the tracks, the Jojo-Buster leapt off the road and landed in front of him on the tracks. Esebu gasped and slammed on his brakes, barely coming to a stop and he was forced to transform back to _Shinkalion_ form, but as he did so, Esebu drew out his drill and started it up, thrusting the spinning tip into the Jojo-Buster's stomach area. The unexpected attack forced Mojo Jojo to release Blossom and Bubbles, much to Esebu's relief. _"Thank Kami that worked! I was sure it would not go as planned...'_

Blossom hovered up to Esebu. "Uh... thank you."

"No time for that now. This guy's mine." Esebu growled before he rushed at the Jojo-Buster again, this time tapping his drill trigger twice to change the Dust container to Lightning Dust before doing the trio of hits that allowed the Dust to spill out from his weapon. Rushing at the enemy mecha, Esebu let his Aura channel out and around his drill again, along with the Lightning Dust. This created a bright green glow that came from around him as he lunged towards the Jojo-Buster. **_"WHEELSET BOLT DRIVER!"_**

The electrical attack impacted the Jojo-Buster, shorting out all systems and weapons with the sheer amount of electrical energy from the attack.

To Esebu's surprise, he saw the pilot, Mojo Jojo, ejecting in a pod that shot into the air before rocketing off into the distance.

Blossom and Bubbles gaped at the attack's results. Looking back, Esebu gave a bit of a nervous wave. "Uh... Yeah. Gotta go!" With that, he jumped onto the rails and turned into his _shinkansen_ form before taking off down the rails and out of sight.

* * *

Blossom, for her part, was stunned. "Was that..."

"One of those _Shinkalions_?" Bubbles finished.

Both sisters looked at each other. "But... what is one of those alien robots doing here?" Blossom asked.

"I don't know…" Bubbles admitted.

Both looked back at where the _Shinkalion_ had disappeared into the distance.

"Well, if not for him... it... err... If not for that _Shinkalion_, we could have been badly hurt if not worse." Blossom admitted.

Bubbles could only nod in agreement.

* * *

In his lair, Mojo Jojo was miffed. "How _dare_ that mecha attack and defeat me, Mojo Jojo! I will not stand for this defeat! No, I will instead find a way to defeat it! And I know how..." He looked back at a cage that held two female forms.

One was a female human with brown hair and matching eyes, wearing a blue T-shirt and pink pants with black shoes. She had on a grey backpack and had a camera with her. On her left forearm was a fingerless glove that went up its length and had a matching colored tablet attached to it. The other female form was more mechanical in nature, with cream/beige-colored or white-colored armor on the legs and arms, and the rest of the body modeled after a Sailor Fuku outfit almost. The bows were pink, and this female form had dark blue accents as well. The form's optics were pink with telescopic lenses, and the lower face was matching the rest of the armor in its main color. The female form here also had a mouth. The arms and legs were more feminine looking as well, as they were not boxy or thickly armored like Metabee's frame was.

The two females were looking nervous, while there was a silver form strapped to a table. But Mojo Jojo didn't care much about what the form looked like. All he was interested in was how this form worked.

* * *

**GrimmFall**

In the cells of the Hall of Heroes, Jimmy was seething. _'For so long I have been weak. From the day I could first crawl and nearly broke my arm I have been weak. Everything was a danger to me and so my parents coddled me, literally baby proofing their entire house for me but it was still never enough.'_ Jimmy thought as he sat in his cell.

'If that wasn't enough I got fixed with this.' He fingered his retainer, resenting it even though it helped keep his teeth straight.

(Flashback)

_Jimmy bit down on what he thought was a creamhorn, too late realizing it was a bowling pin. His teeth all break and he cried out in agony. "It's a bowling pin, Sarah! They tricked me!"_

(End Flashback)

_'It was bad enough my body was so weak but it became worse when my teeth were broken._' He brought a hand to his mouth. _'But it wasn't enough.'_

(Flashback)

_"C'mon, Eddy! Quit being such a Mr. Grumpypants! It's Friendship Day! Just reach out and touch somebody!"_

_ "Whatever you say, friend." Eddy reached into Jimmy's pants and hiked up Jimmy's undies, pulling them over his head in a giant wedgie._

_ Everyone laughed at Jimmy as he crouched down, covering his face._

(End Flashback)

Jimmy snarled as he remembered that. _'How I strove to take my revenge...'_

(Flashback)

_Jimmy was grinning as he framed the Eds for a dozen crimes, stealing Sarah's dolls, wiping Plank's mouth, piercing the heart he and Sarah made to celebrate Friendship Day, breaking into a dozen houses to frame the Eds for breaking and entering, destruction of property and so much more._

_ It would sweet to watch the Eds get their just deserts..._

_ Only they didn't._

_ Just as Kevin, Sarah and Nazz were going to beat them senseless the cops showed up and Jimmy was arrested._

_ "What's going on?!" Sarah shouted as an office had to pull her back from attacking the ones leading Jimmy into a car. _

_ "Your friend, a Jonny 2/4 claims that your friend Jimmy was responsible for the vandalism here and at the school. The school cameras confirm that Mr. Jimmy was responsible for the lockers being trashed, the breaking and entering of the principal's office and destruction of the school plants that were to be used in school wide project." The officer stated._

_ Needless to say the Peach Creek kids were shocked and if that wasn't enough almost all of them were in big trouble after that. Apparently cameras had been set up in the cul-de-sac by most of the parents who were busy most of the time but still somewhat overprotective of their children. The footage proved that Jimmy, not the Eds were responsible for it. This led to a big meeting between parents and teachers, ending with the agreement for Jimmy to be placed under house arrest with Nazz, Sarah and Kevin getting grounded for attempting to harm the Eds for crimes they did not commit._

_ Nazz got of lighter as she apologized to the Eds for believing they were responsible but pointed out Eddy was the one who humiliated Jimmy in the first place._

_ Sarah wanted to beat her brother and her friends up, still believing it was their fault which led to her being grounded even longer with a warning to stay away from her brother and his friends. _

_ As for Kevin, he was still grounded as he showed no remorse for wanting to beat the Eds up, still hating them but that was to be expected._

_ As for Rolf, he had been bribed by Jimmy with a sort of candy called jujubes and had been shamed by his Nana for his complicity. For that Rolf had sworn off jujubes and swore he would regain his honor._

_ Jimmy's parents used their son's allowance to pay for the damage he caused, selling his TV, toys and anything of value as punishment. If that was not enough Jimmy became a social outcast as school with almost everyone picking on him for ruining their projects, being labelled as the crybaby and the lamest kid..._

(End Flashback)

Jimmy's entire body trembled with rage as he remembered his schemes to get back at the Eds, especially Eddy had blown up in his face. Only Sarah was willing to be his friend at that point with both of them being outcasts for how they acted.

_'It's not fair.'_ Jimmy gritted his broken teeth. _'This weak body, everyone against me and worst of all those horrible Eds going on all these adventures and coming back without a mere scratch. It's NOT FAIR!'_

Fortunately a light at the end of tunnel finally appeared to him in the form of a winged creature.

It promised it would make him strong but in return he had to make it strong as well.

And when he was strong everyone would pay.

* * *

Akira frowned to himself as he pondered the changes in his SEED. He had seen the latest fight, which had been intense, and he was impressed by Mayor Sebben's abilities. _'Certainly shows he is no slouch despite being out of the field for some time.'_ He mused. But then his mind wandered back to his SEED.

_'But I can't help but wonder what is going on with my SEED. I mean, I was able to see something that only Flay could see.'_ Akira thought as he recalled the slight conversation he had recently had with Flay about the form around Johnny Bravo.

Then, a thought hit him. _'Wait... I never tried to enter STAR Mode here. True, given how hard it is to even reach it, I can't just enter it willy-nilly, but I can't help but wonder if I can at all.'_

Akira looked down at his hands and clenched them, wondering if he even still had the ability to do so.

However, unbeknownst to him, and Flay, Akira's SEED Factor had adapted to the new universe, thus removing his STAR Factor, and instead making him what Flay was now. Yes, Akira was now a SEED-type, even if he didn't know it at the time.

Akira was so caught up in his thoughts, he jumped when he got an odd feeling cutting across his head. It was like a tingle of some kind, but it wasn't at the same time. It came from his SEED, but without the pain this time. _'What... What the hell? What is going on? It's like... I can sense something, but... my SEED... It isn't sending that stabbing pain...'_

Looking back, Akira saw Valhallen coming up to the control room. He watched as the Viking God of Rock entered the room and gave him a smile. "How are you doing up here, hacker dude?"

Akira chuckled at the nickname. "Just fine." He replied.

The Rock God gave him the thumbs up. However, there was a reason the Viking God was up there, and it was to find out _who_ he really was.

Valhallen walked towards the window and looked down at the arena. "You have done a good job with the tasks given to you, I see."

Akira nodded, wondering where he was going with this. "Thanks."

* * *

Valhallen didn't look back at Alex. No, he didn't need to. The Viking God knew Alex was not who he said he was.

But he wasn't about to pry into Alex's past. No, that would come with time, he supposed.

* * *

**Gravity Falls**

Shute and Zero were following Captain, Baku, and Rele throughout the weird town. There was still no sign of Guneagle, which made Shute worried. He was _sure_ something was off now. None of the other members save for him and Zero were worried about Guneagle's whereabouts, and on top of that, Shute felt something was off with his and Captain's bond. Sure, the Gundam was there beside him, but Shute couldn't _sense_ Captain's side of the bond. The boy couldn't sense what the Gundam Force leader was feeling, which was the key to activating Captain's Soul Drive. The bond worked both ways; Shute could sense Captain's emotions and send his own emotions to the Gundam just as Captain could sense the human's emotions and send _his_ emotions to the boy.

But it seemed like Captain's end of the bond was just... gone. It wasn't like it was muted, as tended to happen sometimes. No, it was like Shute couldn't sense _anything_ from his best friend. Shute's frown was seen by Zero, and the Knight Gundam gave the boy a nudge. "Is everything alright, young Shute?"

"No." Shute admitted. "I can't sense _anything_ from Captain's side of the bond. It's like it's... gone."

"Perhaps it is muted?" Zero offered, but Shute's shake of his head threw that idea out the window quickly.

"Zero, it's _not_ there..." Shute whispered. "I would be able to sense Captain's side, even if it is muted."

Zero paused in his hovering upon hearing that. Chills ran through his systems at Shute's words. "Then... you think...?"

"We're being tricked." Shute confirmed.

* * *

Pericles noticed the two new arrivals seemed to be on edge, but he figured it was due to them not being used to being in a new world. "Hmm... Perhaps it would be worth testing them..."

Pacifica sneered at that. "Yes, perhaps we should..."

* * *

Zero perked up when he sensed something coming. "Hold on."

Shute looked up, just as the rest of the Gundam Force looked back.

"What is it?" Captain asked as he walked back up to the other two members.

"Something or someone is coming this way." Zero noted, his ability to sense Mana coming in handy. While not as accurate as sensors, it did give him the advantage to sense if someone was in the area.

"I sense nothing coming our way." Captain replied with a shrug.

Shute frowned at hearing that. "Are your sensors functioning?"

"They are functioning at 100%." Captain replied.

Shute frowned even more at hearing that. It wasn't like Captain to deny something that Zero was picking up on. If Zero, Baku, or Guneagle picked up on something being wrong or in the area, Captain would normally scan the area to confirm if what they were picking up on was accurate or not.

Looking back at Zero, Shute's eyes said it all. The Knight Gundam could see the distrust in the boy's eyes. If Shute was not trusting Captain, then something was wrong.

Shute then looked back at the other members of the team. "If that's the case, then why haven't you confirmed Zero's words?"

"What do you mean?" Captain asked.

"Do you not trust us, your closest friends?" Rele asked.

"We have been through too much together to be distrustful of each other like this." Baku added.

Zero gave a look to the Musha. "If that is the case, then why didn't you insist upon a search and rescue party going out to search for Guneagle?"

The Musha before the Knight Gundam blinked his eyes. "Uh... What?"

Zero at that moment knew what to do. He held out a hand to the sky. "Oh, Mana! By your contract with this Winged Knight, be my shield and sword!" The Mana Circle appeared above Zero, only for his sword and shield to drop out and he caught it. Drawing out the sacred Vatras Sword, the blade glinted dangerously as Zero glared in front of himself. Standing up straight, Zero then pointed his blade at the Musha.

"You are not my comrade, vile scoundrel!" Zero exclaimed as his blue eyes flashed once. "And nor are you my leader or the Princess!"

Shute was standing behind Zero, glaring at the threesome as well. "Yeah. Captain and Baku would _never_ abandon Guneagle!"

The threesome before Shute and Zero didn't react, which told the duo things were not what they appeared to be. Suddenly, the ones claiming to be their friends looked up, their faces replaced with what was a large single eye. Shute yelped as Zero's eyes went smaller than normal.

Female cackling could be heard from in front of Shute and Zero as well as all around them. "So you figured it out!~" The female voice sang, making Zero tense up as Shute moved closer to the Knight Gundam.

"Where are you?!" Zero demanded as he hefted his sword. "And who dares to impersonate our comrades?!"

The laughter came again just as a girl with long blonde hair with bell-shaped bangs and dark blue eyes. Her main outfit featured a purple jacket with a short lavender dress, black leggings, and cream colored boots. As accessories, she wore lavender hoop earrings and a periwinkle belt. She also noticeably wore heavy purple eye shadow. She had an odd tattoo of an Eye on her forehead as well.

Beside the girl was a parrot of some kind that had grey and white feathers, and it had a scar over its left eye.

"Why, just little old us!~" The girl giggled.

Shute was weirded out by the girl's behavior, and the parrot wasn't doing her any favors either. "Uh... Is that girl even sane?"

"Oh, you hurt me so!" The girl exclaimed with false sadness and hurt.

"Vile fiends!" Zero spat. "You dare to toy with our emotions?!"

"Oh, quite the contrary." The parrot spoke, making Zero stagger back a few steps.

"You... can talk?!" The Knight Gundam gaped.

"Why of course, I can talk." The parrot mocked. "What? Have you never seen a Mobian before?"

"Mobian?" Shute asked, confused as well as on edge.

The girl giggled again. "Yes. He is a Mobian."

Zero's processors were racing as he tried to come up with a plan. It was clear he and Shute were under some sort of hypnosis or a spell that hypnotized them, if the fake images of their comrades-in-arms were anything to go by. If that was the case, then he had to find a way to break the spell, or at least force the caster to place it on someone else. But for that to happen, he had to trick them into revealing who was the caster of such disturbing magic.

"What is a Mobian?" Shute asked.

"Ah, that's right, you're not from around here, are you?" The parrot mocked again. "Well, it was no issue to trick you with my Semblance. And as to answer your question, boy, a Mobian is an animal that is like me; an animal that has human-like traits."

Hearing the parrot's words, Zero at once realized this 'bird' was behind the illusions. _'So it's the bird!'_ The Knight Gundam realized. _'If that's the case, then we have to find a way to get the bird to focus its spell on someone else."_ Looking around, Zero tried to find anything that could work, but as he and Shute were in an illusion, he wasn't sure what was real and what was not.

Then, Zero perked up and looked back, just as two robed figures came out, each having that eye symbol on the hood. "Damn it! We're surrounded!"

Shute looked back, seeing the same figures that Zero was seeing. "WAH!"

The Mobian parrot laughed. "Soon you two will be the newest slaves!"

The girl giggled again. "It will be fun to make you our playthings~!"

The parrot's eyes seemed to glint, making Zero gasp as he caught on to the Mobian's plan. "Now, this illusion will be erased from your memories, with you not remembering anything else." As the parrot said that, Zero gave a discreet hand signal to Shute, one that the boy caught onto right away. It was Zero making a squeezing motion with his hand on his sword's hilt. Shute knew what that meant and reached for his 'sword hilt' on his backpack, pulling it off as if getting ready to attack.

Unbeknownst to the two enemies before them though, Zero had been gathering his Mana for a quick reaction, and now it was time. Reacting quickly, Zero tossed up his shield into the air before he thrust his sword forwards. The two figures tried to grab Shute and Zero to prevent the attack, but Zero and Shute had been figuring out the plan without even talking. As soon as the two figured lunged for Shute and Zero, Shute turned around and aimed the 'sword hilt' and pressed the 'button' which actually shot out globs of sticky super glue, which landed on the hands of the figures.

Taking the chance, Zero moved behind the first figure before shoving the robed form forwards and right towards its comrade. The two forms went stumbling towards the parrot, whose eyes widened as the two robed forms fell into its 'Semblance' spell.

Shute gasped as suddenly his senses returned to normal and the fake images of his friends faded. The girl and the parrot were still there, as were the two robed forms, but the parrot was mad as he glared at the two dimensional travelers. "That was quite the sneaky trick for someone who is supposed to be a Knight."

"Well, one can't remain chivalrous on the battlefield forever." Zero retorted angrily. It was clear now to the Winged Knight that the parrot was going to try that spell of illusion on them again. "Lacroan Flash!"

Zero's Vatras Sword suddenly flashed a bright blue, the pulse of light blinding the parrot before he could cast another illusion. "GAHHH!"

The girl whistled at seeing the light. "Pretty."

Zero was staring. "How are you not affected?!"

"What are you?!" Shute demanded.

The girl just gave Zero and Shute a look before her eyes changed to become nothing more than slits on yellow eyes. "So you figured out I am not human, did you?" She then laughed manically. "My, dimensional travelers can be so interesting~! Claiming to be trying to do good and all that crap." She then gave a sinister grin. "After all your old friend General Zeong learned the price of attempting to oppose my father. " She then began giggling darkly at their shock "Didn't you ever wonder who put that old scrap heap in such a sorry state in the first place?"

"What?!" Shute and Zero demanded.

"It's true~!" The girl sang.

Instead of answering, Zero grabbed Shute. "Hang on!" The Knight Gundam exclaimed; having seen his spell fading, Zero knew it was only a matter of time before the parrot regained his sight, so they had to leave while the bird was still blinded.

Hearing Zero's words, Shute knew what was coming next. Zero's next words were ones Shute didn't wish to hear very often, mostly due to the... unintended side-effects... "Power Warp!"

A flash of light echoed across the area as a Mana Circle appeared above Shute and Zero before the two warped away from the town.

The light of the Lacroan Flash spell faded, just as Pericles looked up. "Well, that Knight was quite the sneaky one, wasn't he Pacifica?"

Pacifica shrugged. "True, but it made for some good entertainment for the time being, didn't it?~"

* * *

**Tokyo, Japan**

Captain and Rele had found an unused cabin and had settled down for the night. Looking at Captain who still had severe damage, Rele could only wonder if he would be alright until they found help.

* * *

**GrimmFall**

Guneagle and Bakunetsumaru prowled the streets of GrimmFall, looking for any sign of anyone or anything that would be of help to figuring out where they were. As it was, the two Gundams were seeing humans with animal parts, and animals that were walking and talking like humans as well. It was odd to say the least, and Baku found it interesting. However, the odd human he and Guneagle had fought stood out in his mind. The Musha hoped that they would be able to find some information on that 'Fallen', whatever that was...

Guneagle came to a stop and panted. "So... what are we... looking for?" He asked between pants.

"Anything that could help us against that 'Fallen' as well as information on it." Baku replied as he stood against a building.

The younger Gundam groaned. "Great... More research..."

"Says the one who has the powerful processors..." Baku muttered angrily, making Guneagle pout.

The Musha looked around, but there was nothing of use to them in the immediate area. He frowned behind his facemask at seeing little information. "But where do we start?"

"Any place would be of use..." Guneagle muttered, causing Baku to groan in exasperation.

"Let's just continue our search..." The older Musha sighed.

* * *

** Shute and Zero barely escape Gravity Falls while the fights in the Hall of Heroes continue. Esebu appears in Townsville and defeats Mojo Jojo, just as Ikki and Metabee are awakened by Six. What will happen next? Read on to find out~! :3 **


	14. Tale of Two Heights III

**Here is another chapter~! :3**

**GCD: I saw! Thanks for that shout out! :D**

**merendinoemiliano: Thanks. :)**

**nightmaster000: Actually, thank Maximus for the scene as he wrote it. I just put it in to help with my story. ^^' As for the Gundam Force scenes, thanks for the ideas! :D It made it more interesting, and again, that line from Pacifica was just too epic to not use. XD**

**Lord Maximus: Thanks for that scene. :3 And you will see about how the SEED evolves. ;)**

**Titanic X: Glad you like it. :)**

**D.N. Works: Eh, Esebu wasn't aiming for a long fight, and Mojo never knew about him so... Yeah. ^^'**

**Note: If any readers have an account, then please review using your account please. If you are too lazy to log in, then at least leave your account name so I can know who you are. If any reader does not have an account, then at least use a **consistent** name when reviewing so I can respond in a more personal manner, as the name 'Guest' does not seem too personable to me.**

_***"Cybertronian"***_

* * *

_***Files Accessed***_

_**File 5:**__** SEED-types**_

_One of three genetic mutation groups, SEED-types are SEED users who have Newtype abilities. While Newtypes focus on strong mental awareness and SEED/STAR users focus on precision and physical awareness, SEED-types are the middle ground. With the SEED, a SEED-type can see patterns missed by a normal human, and combining that with their limited Newtype senses, can have an increased awareness of what is going on all around them._

_While pure Newtypes can grow strong, their mental awareness can get so strong it overwhelms the Newtype's brain and makes them go crazy. If the SEED grows to its STAR Factor, the user's body can get pushed to the point of dying from overwhelming their physical body. The SEED, as the opposite of Newtype powers, can prevent the Newtype powers from getting too strong, while the Newtype powers keep the SEED from reaching the physical over-clock known as the STAR Factor._

_More study into the SEED Factor and Newtype powers is needed._

**_File 6: Magnum_****_ Command_**

The_ final order given to Zero Squadron, the Magnum Command is considered the one order that can turn the tide of a battle. Named for the Twin Buster Magnum Rifle of Wing Zero, the Magnum Command authorizes the unit to use their full arsenal, including the weapon for which it is named. In it's Buster Magnum mode, the TBMR is only able to fire off 45% of its power due to limiters installed on the weapon being active. When the Magnum Command is given, then the limiters can be disengaged by Admiral Yuy. Otherwise, disengaging the limiters without this command will be punished severely._

_Due to its full power being strong enough to wipe out a space colony or stop a Cyclops System, the TBMR has to have the limiters active so as to not cause severe collateral damage to any areas Zero Squad fights in. So far, the Magnum Command has only been given twice, but with the current situation in GF-007, there is a high probability of the Command being given again._

**_File 7: Gundam__ Force_**

_The unit made up of Captain, Shute, Zero, Baku, Rele, and Guneagle, this team is multi-dimensional. The Gundam Force defeated the god-like General Zeong, but that what they did _not_ know was that the General had _planned_ on them defeating him. The reason why is unknown, but there is a rumor circling about concerning an extradimensional entity that possesses great power, enough to scare even one insane dream demon..._

* * *

**GrimmFall**

A small portal opened up as two forms fell out. Shute landed on his butt as Zero fell onto his stomach with a grunt. Getting to his feet, Shute looked himself over. It seemed he was still in his own body, much to his relief. "Wow... I didn't switch with anyone this time!"

"Of course not." Zero said as he got to his feet, using his Vatras sword as a crutch briefly before he yanked the tip of his blade out of the ground. "I've worked that particular flaw out."

"You said that last time I got switched..." Shute muttered.

Zero felt a sweat-drop run down the side of his helm at that. "Ehehe… So maybe it still needs some work..."

Looking around them, Zero frowned to himself. "We appear to be in a city of some kind."

"Yeah? Where?" Shute asked as he looked around as well. It was odd, as Shute was now seeing humans, humans with animal parts, and animals that were walking and talking like humans. "Whoa..."

Zero was also impressed, but also confused as well. "Where _are_ we...?"

Just then, Zero tensed as he sensed a presence behind them. He whirled around, only for his shield to meet twin katana. His teal blue eyes shrank a bit as recognition filled them. "Bakunetsumaru?!"

The red and white Musha blinked. "Huh?! Zero?! Shute?!"

Shute tensed up, not sure if this was a trick, but then a familiar winged form came into view. "Can't you calm down, Bossanova?!"

Shute's green eyes met those of Guneagle. However, he was still tense. Zero could tell Shute was on edge, so, he decided to ask one thing only each of them knew about each other. "What is your most famous prank, Guneagle? And what is your secret fear, Bakunetsumaru?"

Guneagle blinked as he eyed Zero and Shute. "What? Why do you want to know?"

"Just answer it, both of you!" Zero spat.

The flying Gundam backed up. "Whoa, calm down dude! It's Paintball Corridor!"

Baku frowned, but did as the Knight Gundam asked. "I hate ghosts."

Hearing that, Zero relaxed his stance. Shute, upon seeing the Winged Knight relax his stance, felt all tension leave his own body.

"Why did you ask that, Zero?" Guneagle asked.

"It's a bit of a crazy story..." Shute muttered as he rubbed the back of his head.

Guneagle and Baku looked at one another. This sounded like something they had to hear...

* * *

In the Hall of Heroes, things seemed to be normal for a while longer, at least it seemed to be that way before Akira perked up as his laptop alert began to beep. Looking back, the Coordinator made his way to the computer, only for his eyes to widen at what he was seeing. "SLAG IT!"

He sat down and got to work at once. The reason? That odd signal that had hidden Jimmy as the attacker beforehand was back. Akira's hands flew over the keyboard as he tried to isolate the attacker. Bringing up his computer's personal firewalls, all based on the firewalls of the quantum supercomputer known as Veda and the Zero System, Akira hoped to trap the unknown accomplice before they got into the systems for the Hall of Heroes.

_'Okay... Let's see if I can keep the accomplice busy while trying to find out who the_ are.' Akira thought as he gritted his teeth together, his golden eyes narrowing beneath his sunglasses. The Coordinator ran through the systems with his tracker program, but the unknown intruder was beginning to make their way towards the systems for the Sparring Chamber. _'Slag, slag, slag, slag, SLAG! I _HAVE_ to warn Major Glory!'_

Akira's hand snapped towards the phone he had been given to contact the major, but when he picked it up, he saw the signal was being jammed. Akira growled as plans raced through his mind on how to get passed this as soon as he put the phone down. Then, he realized there was only _one_ way to get the major's attention. The undercover pilot then brought up his free hand to his ear, tapping his com-link set he had on; upon being hired, Akira had linked his com-set to the internal communications so he could be in contact should something like this happen.

The com-set sent a call signal to Major Glory's tablet; Akira was sure the major would receive the signal, if the tablet hadn't been jammed already. With the possibility of that having occurred crossing his mind, Akira hissed between his teeth. _'Damn it! If this intruder has jammed the phone, then there's a good chance the signal for all communications with the Justice Friends is jammed as well. If that's the case, then there's only a few limited options I can use; sound the alarm and evacuate everyone, try to isolate the intruder, or sit back and do nothing. The last one is out, leaving me with only the two options. But which one should I do?!'_

The Coordinator knew the more he debated, the closer the intruder would get to the systems for the Sparring Chamber. Throwing aside all caution, Akira decided it was time to stop hiding his real abilities and began to just let his training and Coordinator abilities take over. As soon as he resolved to do that, Akira began to bring up all sorts of programs that were normally to be used only when on official missions. One was a hacking engine, one was a firewall generation program, one was a tracking program, everything Akira had on his laptop was brought up and online.

Running the tracking program, Akira looked at the program, which showed all the servers and systems of the Hall of Heroes' network. The main server in danger was the one that controlled the Sparring Chamber's systems. Akira brought up the firewall generation program and linked it to the server before modifying the code so the server would accept the newly generated firewalls. Akira had the hacking engine program on standby in case the intruder could be tracked down, but he had the feeling he would not be using it, despite his best hopes. However, Akira then thought better of having that program up and shut it down, instead deciding to bring up yet another program, this one a program that would record all data of during this attempt to hack in.

Akira's golden eyes narrowed, but he wasn't about to wait around for this attacker to make another move.

* * *

**Ruins**

""You have been recording matches inside the Hall of Heroes?"

After having been lead into the briefing room Cree watched with fascination as Leo appeared to be arguing with Heero.

"It was necessary move to better the abilities of top ranked Huntsmen in this dimension." Heero calmly answered.

"Necessary or not it's completely dishonourable and disrespectful. Have you even considered the ramifications if someone were to find out about you and what you have done just now? The entire Hunter community would be up in arms, declaring you all criminals guilty of espionage and me a traitor by association. It was one thing simply infiltrating GrimmFall to gather information but placing yourself in positions to spy on people I consider comrades...This is the kind of subterfuge that Sammael would play to cause his enemies to turn on each other." Leo stated with rising anger in his voice. "Hell, if he even suspects what you have done he could use it against you. I object greatly to this, Heero and I tell you now that if this does blow up in our faces which I am sure it will I am positive that no one will believe you have both yours and our dimension's best interests at heart. I have trusted you this far but there is a line, Heero and I hope for all our sakes you never force me to cross it."

Heero frowned before sighing. "Very well. We will stop all spying for the time being. We have enough for now anyway."

He then looked around at the assembled team as well as Cree.

"We've recorded almost all the matches and what we've seen so far tell us that if these participants are considered the norm here then we are greatly outmatched when it comes to facing them in combat."

The first matched showed Doyle and Superboy, ending with Doyle using his dragon to push Superboy out of the ring.

"First off we can see the sparring arena has been designed to shift and alter its own environment, showing a detailed and complex level of thought put into it. Be able to actually store a landscape holding not only ice and magma in storage when not in use. And as you can see, they actually have dragons."

Considering dragons were myth in their dimension it was somewhat awe-inspiring to see an actual live dragon in the flesh, so to speak.

"We have Intel the one called Superboy comes from another dimension and was brought here against his will. His power so far appears to be super strength beyond anything we have seen before combined with a near invulnerability to harm, even if it is from a dragon."

Next was North and Tiki-Torch.

"From what we have seen and what was heard each Hunter is uniquely skilled and the places where they were trained even more so. The Ape Mobian is considerably strong but given how powerful an ordinary that is no surprise but he tempers it with a discipline that has to be practiced, learned."

Next came Artemis and Erika.

"The two females were both skilled and as you can see the arena was actually modified in an environment where the gravity was constantly shifting and changing. Certainly a unique environment but both seemed to handle it well. The one called Artemis, the comrade of Superboy shows exceptional skill and it is likely she had been trained from a very young age to the point she could well be on par with anyone from the Zero Squadron."

Scotty and Agunimon were next.

"This one caught our eye especially."

Everyone watched as Scotty and Agunimon fought rather fiercely, showing a level of skill and power that was inspiring and slightly terrifying, especially when Agunimon transformed two times and Scotty...

"The one called Agunimon seems to have the ability to transform into different forms, increasing his power greatly. He can control and manipulate fire at will while the one called Scotty showed a level of Aura that is beyond anything we thought capable."

"The Seven Chakras." Leo stated, earning everyone's attention. "What you could call Aura at it's highest level. Aura is the manifestation of the soul which is the moral, spiritual and emotional quality of every living thing. The force that guides and drives us. However like everything there is a limit, seven locks to keep the flow of Aura stable but if its unlocked it can release Aura in its purest and more powerful form."

For the team, it was a shock. All of them had never expected such a thing to be possible.

"You mean, such power is possible?!" Tao asked in a whisper.

Leo nodded. "Yes. It is."

Heero then returned to the rest of the files.

"And here, we see the fight between the hero known as E-Male and the man named Johnny Bravo who is apparently the reincarnation of the Norse God of Thunder, Thor Odinson."

No one was laughing as they witnessed Johnny's power.

"Our observers reported their SEEDs reacting heavily to Mr. Bravo and they claimed they saw...Well, a spectral image of the real Thor himself around Mr. Bravo. It was...They say it was impossible to describe."

"And here is a surprising one. The first tag team match with one of the participants being Mayor Phil Ken Sebben himself."

Everyone watched the screen, watching as Sebben fought Valhallen who himself was a God and another Digimon named Kazemon who then transformed like Agunimon did.

"It is here we learned Sebben's Semblance. He can control time."

SPAT!

Cree actually spat out her drink. "Say what?! He can actually control time?!"

"I take it you didn't know." Heero stated.

Cree shook her head. "I mean I knew he was tough. Even Sammael considers him dangerous but to have a Semblance that can control time...No wonder. I wondered why Sammael was wary of him."

"So Sammael considers Sebben an enemy." Allen stated.

"Not just an enemy. One of the most dangerous enemies." Cree answered seriously. "But it makes so much sense now. I mean, this is the guy who set up the entire Huntsmen system and started the Silver Age."

"Perhaps you can explain this to us since we are all still learning." Heero suggested.

Cree sighed but relented. "Well, basically the Grimm have been around for a long time and since the Emperor of Japan passed the secret of Aura down so too have Hunters. Back then Huntsmen weren't really well, actually Huntsmen. People needed to defend themselves so they learned how to fight, use Aura and then they taught it to their friends and family. Eventually a lot of people took up jobs of killing Grimm for various reasons and everyone was fine with that, at least until the two Great World Wars."

"World War I and II." Hero stated, seeing similarities in between the history of their two dimensions.

"It got nasty, especially in World War II when the Nazi Regime rose up, followed by those Purists who wanted to wipe any trace of Faunus or Mobian DNA from the gene pool." Cree scowled. "The wars only got worse since the negative emotions attracted the Grimm and they swarmed the battle fields like locusts. Luckily soldiers who specialized in fighting Grimm helped the army survive long enough to win the war. Not long after that an idea came around that the people with right kind of training, those with high developed Samblances would be useful as soldiers so the government started ordering anyone who had taken up jobs in Grimm slaying to be turn themselves in for identification and possible recruitment. Only no one saw it that way."

"The whole point of learning how to kill Grimm in the first place was to protect their friends and families or for other reasons like fame, vengeance or even for the money to use to keep a roof over your family's head and food on the table. Fearing that they would be forcefully drafted and taken away to fight in another war Hunters began quitting their jobs, putting their weapons away and concealing their identities to protect themselves." Leo added.

"Then came Sebben." Cree spoke again.

"With Hunters putting quitting to avoid being drafted the Golden Age of Hunstmen had come to an end. The problem was that left everyone more vulnerable to the Grimm than ever. Soldiers were good but they were overwhelmed and it became painfully clear they could not protect everyone. With the government bogged down in trying to figure out what to do next and the Grimm threat rising things looked very dark. Then surprisingly a former Hunter stepped up, entering the game of politics." Cree continued. "Phil Ken Sebben. He suggested that Huntsmen be allowed to operate outside the military as an independent force but of course the government at the time flipped their noses at him, wanting all Huntsmen to answer to them. Of course they didn't anticipate Sebben becoming very popular and very quickly. He held public rallies and appealed all the retired Hunters at the time, asking for their help in creating a brand new system to better address everyone's concerns."

Cree took a quick drink and continued. "Basically, he proposed that Huntsmen be allowed to continue their jobs as well as setting up elite academies to properly train them in a way to make them skilled enough to handle the Grimm while the military would continue its job. Though Sebben would later argue that continued use of having the largest military force in the world would continue to invite challenge and conflict. The arguments went back and forth but Sebben was gaining momentum as other notable heroes like Major Glory began to publicly support him. As Hunters began to come out of retirement the government continued attempting to have to try and have their Military Hunter program set up but public support in Sebben's proposals grew more and more popular."

"It helped that Huntsmen were what kept the people safe while the rest of the world was at war." Leo quickly cut in.

"Sebben knew he couldn't force the government to stand down in its plans to have Huntsmen join the military so he relied on public support and with so many Hunters having so many friends almost everywhere no one was willing to support the Military Hunter the government soon realized it could not win, especially not with Sebben gaining so much influence that attempting to shut him down caused rioting which of course attracted more Grimm. So the Military Hunter program was dismantled and they were forced to go along with Sebben's ideas just so they could have Hunters back out there protecting the people." Cree continued. "Sebben started by ensuring the Huntsmen would be allowed to accept or deny any mission, even ones from the military while maintaining their independence. That was phase one. The next phase was the creation of Huntsmen Academies, allowing for future Huntsmen and Huntresses to be trained in a more formal setting and the first one was set up in Sebben's own hometown that later grew into a big city: GrimmFall."

"This practice was picked up in Japan, establishing Yamanouchi as their own Huntsmen Academy. Followed by Jade Academy in China, Lucha Academy in Mexico, Outer Haven in Russia and SkyFall in the United Kingdom." Leo spoke next. "Smaller academies were set up by other countries but the six academies are the most famous, known as the Big Six."

"What happened next no one could have predicted. Sebben was already set up to become headmaster but he surprised everyone when he chose to become a candidate for Mayor of GrimmFall and somehow he won." Cree shook her head. "Everyone thought it was because he had people like Major Glory supporting him but Sebben proved he could juggle two jobs, at least with help from people like Deputy Major Callie Briggs and the staff he chose to help run Nevernest. It wasn't until I was recruited by Sammael did I learn what really made him dangerous."

"Cree..." Leo spoke in a warning tone.

"Oh they might as well know now before it blows up in their face." Cree said with a small smile as she looked at the assembled members of the Zero Squadron. "Phil Ken Sebben happens to possess one of the twelve Spiral Gems, the Gem of Sight. It allows him to glimpse into the future, seeing possible futures not just for himself but also for anyone he knows. He can focus on anyone he knows and see any possible future for them."

_That_ was a big blow to the unit.

"WHAT?!" They all exclaimed in shock.

Heero was livid. "So he knows of us?! He knew this whole time?! Then what was all of our work and effort for?!"

Cree smirked. "I wouldn't put it past him to know who your spies are."

Heero fell back into his seat. "Great... Is there _nothing_ that we can do without being discovered?!"

Leo frowned. "I wouldn't say that."

Heero looked back at Leo. "Why do you say that?"

"I think Mayor Sebben allowed your two spies in for a reason." Leo explained.

Heero raised an eyebrow. "You think so?"

"Yes, but whatever the reason, it is his reason and his alone." The turtle Mobian said. He then folded his arms. "And as for your spying..."

Heero groaned. "I said we would stop the spying..."

Cree gave a smirk. "Something tells me the mayor probably allowed it for a reason."

Leo gave Cree a glare. "Still doesn't make it right."

Admiral Yuy sighed. "I get it. And we will stop. But we can't keep ourselves in the dark. We have to do what we have to in order to be able to survive here. You know our conflict history to an extent, and in the two worst, people did _anything_ to get the edge over an enemy, from subterfuge to using children as weapons of war."

Leo frowned. He remembered that information all too well. "That is true..."

"When you fight enemies that are willing to go that far, one has to do the same to survive." Heero sighed. "We of Zero Squad, while we ourselves are not unclean in that regard, have at least worked to prevent such things from occurring again."

"And yet you do the same things." Leo snapped.

Heero's eyes took on a glare. "We have _not_ worked to make _children_ into weapons of war."

"I didn't mean that!" Leo snapped back.

Cree found this to be somewhat amusing, but at the same time, she could sympathize with the unit to an extent, since she had basically had to do whatever she had to in order to ensure her baby sister's safety. "Leonardo, while what they did _is_ wrong, you have to consider things from their perspective at some point."

"It's not just that!" Leo exclaimed. "They basically engaged in illegal activities and spying!"

"Don't we all?" Cree pointed out.

Leo had to admit that was a good point. "True..."

Heero looked at Leo. "As I said, we have enough information on some of the basics of this universe. But there's not much we can do since we can only operate in the shadows at this point. If we were to become public, it would have to be in the best circumstances, meaning it would be _before_ Sammael finds out about us, well, what dimension we are from anyway."

Leo frowned at hearing that. "Nothing goes the way you want it to, you know."

Heero sighed. "I know. Nothing went the way we wanted it to in our universe, and well... we suffered two wars that nearly wiped out the human race as a result." He then looked out. "I just hope we can get to that point before we get exposed by Sammael."

* * *

**Earth Orbit**

The _Arc_ hovered in orbit, keeping an eye out for anything unusual. Saber Convoy looked on, only to frown when the sensors of his ship picked up a signature matching that of the Gem Empire, but this was not his universe's Gem Empire. No, it was the native universe's version. But other ships were around as well, all of which were giving off other signatures. _'Hmmm... What to do...'_

He then looked to Ironhide. "Ironhide, drop our ships cloaking. I think it is time we find out what these ships want."

The black mech looked at his superior in surprise. "Are you sure?"

"I am." Saber Convoy replied. "We have to find out why a Gem ship retreated. This version of their empire is not known for retreating. We have to find out why the ship fled."

The cloaking field around the Arc began to diminish, allowing the ship to come into view. At the same time, their IFF signature began to broadcast their identity signal. Saber Convoy's ship began to approach the group of ships as well, but the Arc's weapons were also deployed, just in case anything unusual happened or they were fired upon.

_'Let's hope these guys are willing to talk without violence.'_ Saber Convoy thought warily.

* * *

**Unknown space**

_In the confines of space and time, a form roared, banging on the seal. _It_ could sense what was coming. The seven pieces were still missing, but they were all close. _It_ needed those pieces back, so as to regain full strength. Five of the seven were in one place, with the last two hiding in the dimension where they had first unleashed _its_ power. The form roared before another bang came from the impact against the seal._

_The triangular one was getting ready to bring about his power, and _it_ wasn't even ready yet. _It_ let out a distressed roar, calling out to_ its_ seven pieces, but alas, _its_ pieces could not sense _it_ like they normally could. The bond was cut off, with only one way to restore it. _It_ knew the Gem of Ability would be needed to regain the ability to release _it_. That was the only way._

_Holding out hope was not going to cut it. _It_ needed to take action, but with the seal in place, _it_ could not do anything. Metallic wings that were white in color flared as the form, grey in color with hints of red, blue and gold on it, flew around _its_ prison. Twin gold optics flared as its maw, white in color with a black face, opened to let out another roar of frustration. The talons of the claws, shining silver, glinted as they flexed. And the twin tails, a dark navy blue color, twitched in anxiety. _It_ wanted out, and _it_ could sense the seven pieces of _its_ power would be needing their ability again._

_But for now, all _it_ could do was worry and hope for the best..._

* * *

**GrimmFall**

Zero and Shute had just finished telling their story to Baku and Guneagle, both of whom were surprised. "So, let me get this straight. Some odd girl claimed her father was responsible for what happened to General Zeong?" Guneagle asked as he scratched at his head in confusion.

Shute nodded. "Yeah. And she was nuts looking, not to mention acting odd too."

Baku frowned at hearing this. "Hmm... If this girl's father _is_ in fact responsible for General Zeong's state before he revived himself, then it stands to reason we will need _its_ power again."

Zero sighed. "That may be a bit of a problem..."

Guneagle looked at the Winged Knight. "You mean you can't sense _it_ either?"

Zero shook his helm. "No, I cannot."

Shute looked down. "I can't either, which is odd."

Baku sighed. "We noticed that right away. We think it has to do with the way this world works."

Guneagle spoke up at that point. "And yet... if we can't sense _it_, then what's to say we can't call upon _it_ either? What if we can't remove the seal?"

Zero and Shute paled at hearing that, or rather, Shute did while Zero's eyes shrank in fear. "Then..."

"Yeah, we may have to find a way to regain that ability." Guneagle admitted. "But given how we know next to nothing about this world, we will have to do some research on what could possibly do that."

Shute, Zero, Baku, and Guneagle all looked at one another, not sure of what to make of this new development.

* * *

**Earth, Mining Town outskirts**

Wing Saber, Arcee, and Springer were leaving the town to try and find the _Ark_, the ship of Optimus Prime himself.

Wing Saber was in his alt mode with Arcee riding on top of it while Springer was in his tank mode, driving along the ground.

"So, where do we head now?" Wing Saber asked.

"We should keep going." Arcee replied. "Keep heading in this direction."

_"It is the last known location of the _Ark's_ transponder."_ Springer added as Wing Saber groaned.

"I hope this isn't leading us into a trap..." The aerial mech muttered to himself.

* * *

**GrimmFall**

Akira was working on trying to isolate the intruder, which was going well, at least, until the intruder spread from the isolated systems into the control systems through another system, the systems for security.

"SHIT!" Akira swore before he then tapped his com-link. It was clear now he would not be able to stave off this intruder for very long. At least, he wouldn't be able to if everyone was in danger.

* * *

Major Glory looked up as the communications system suddenly chimed, as did everyone else. The major frowned when nothing came out. Looking down at his tablet, he saw something was off, like the screen was flickering.

Major Glory tried to tap into the network of computers for the Hall of Heroes, only to find he was unable to do so. Raising an eyebrow, the symbol of peace wondered what was going on before the comm. system buzzed again. _"Everyone! Evacuate now!"_

"What? Why should we just leave?" Tiki Torch asked in confusion.

The words from Alex surprised Major Glory. _"There is an intruder in the cyber networks and attempting to attack. Evacuate now! This is not a drill! All occupants are to evacuate to the nearest exit in a calm manner! There will be someone to guide you out, so follow her orders as she gives them! This intruder is _very_ dangerous, and can and _will_ take control of the Sparring Chamber systems! This person has struck before, and _will_ strike again!__"_

Hearing that, it was what Major Glory had feared. The intruder who had assisted Jimmy in his attack on Agunimon was back.

Major Glory looked to Valhallen. "Can I trust you to try and get everyone out? I need to go and see what Alex is doing."

The God of Rock nodded. "I can."

With that, Major Glory turned and headed for the control room, hoping he was not too late to try and save Alex. However, before he could get there, something stopped him, as the doors to the Sparring Chamber were locked somehow. Major Glory frowned to himself. _'Is this intruder looking to keep us here? But why?'_

* * *

Akira was working hard, trying to keep the control systems for the Sparring Chamber from being breached. He was already feeling nervous, because this intruder was relentless in their attacks. But if anything, he was just as relentless himself.

_'Flay can get everyone to safety. I have to focus on getting this intruder out.'_ Akira thought to himself as he looked over the screens and his laptop. His hands flew over the keyboard of his laptop, trying to cut off the intruder. The Coordinator was so caught up in his task at hand, he didn't even notice the security systems were also being targeted.

* * *

Down in the Sparring Chamber, Flay began to organize everyone. "Okay, I want everyone to get close to me."

Her tone had an air of authority to it, and the way she carried herself was indicative of being more than just a mere secretary.

She could see some of the kids were gathering close to her, namely the kids that were obviously the Elementals. Nigel Uno and Abigail Lincoln if what the information said.

"Why do we have to leave?" Abigail asked, approaching Flay. The SEED-type gave her a reassuring grin.

"It's because someone dangerous is coming, and they are an exceptionally good hacker. Alex is trying to delay them, but while that is going on, we need to get out in case the systems here are penetrated." Flay replied.

Flay looked at the rest of the group, which was slowly getting bigger. "I need all of you to follow me so we can get out before things get really bad."

But before they could, suddenly the lights flickered harshly as the systems for the control of the temperature began to go on the fritz. Flay gasped, realizing there was no more time to get everyone else out. "Slag..." She hissed. They were officially trapped unless Akira could work some kind of miracle...

* * *

In the control room, Akira noticed the systems for the temperature going haywire and growled to himself. "Damn it..." He swore. Akira was forced to shift his focus from the other systems, which included the security systems, to try and regain control of the Sparring Chamber's systems.

His Coordinator reflexes kicked in as his hands typed in commands via the keyboard faster than a normal human could keep up. Acting quickly. Akira was able to isolate the systems for the temperature and run an anti-virus program as well as bolster the firewalls there. Once that was done, Akira quickly regained control over the temperature systems and brought the temperatures back to normal. But he was not done yet. Akira saw that the systems for artificially creating snow were also activating, along with the generators for high winds. Thinking fast. Akira's Coordinator brain came up with a plan faster than any human under pressure could and he went right for the light shields that often protected the observers of the matches for sparring.

He forced his way into the system controls for the light shields, once more isolating the system and running the anti-virus program before bolstering the firewall defenses. Now in control of that system again, Akira then ran the command and the light shields came on with the sounding of the alarm, thus keeping the snow and harsh winds from getting at the rest of the observers still inside the Sparring Chamber. Now with that under control for the time being, Akira then turned his attention to the other systems that were rampant. He pulled the same isolation, anti-virus, and firewall bolstering strategy, which worked for those two systems. The winds began to slow down as the snow began to come to a stop as well.

The intruder however, activated the stage change system, which began to bring up any stage at random. Akira hissed before he worked his way into that system as well, once more isolating the system before running the anti-virus and then bolstering the firewall. Akira then looked back at the other systems, only for his eyes to widen as he saw one system in particular was being targeted. _'No... no, no, no, no, no, NO! Not again! I _won't_ let it happen again!'_ His hands flew even faster over the keyboard, activating all possible programs he could, including the hacking one. Activating the hacking program as well, Akira began to do a brute force attack as well as his isolation technique. The hacking engine began to attack the intruder's firewalls, which were rising quickly before being brought down. Akira knew what system was being attacked. It was a system for making the entire Sparring Chamber into a closed vacuum to simulate space based combat. Akira knew he was risking his own life, because if a laser or bullet penetrated the glass of the control room, he would be sucked into the vacuum and die. Forgoing the risk, Akira continued his work. He didn't care at this point. All that mattered was saving the lives of the others!

* * *

A small feeble form smirked to himself. Soon, he would be free...

* * *

Akira continued his work, only to see the security systems were also in danger now. The Coordinator was confused before he realized something. _'Ah slag it! This whole attack is a ruse! The security systems for are the real target!'_ However, looking back at the systems for the Sparring Chamber, Akira was torn. For once, he could do something to stop both, but it could only be one or the other, not _truly_ both. Akira gritted his teeth in anxiety as he ran through the pros and cons of each option. _'If I go after the security systems, then the others will die. However, that means Jimmy remains in jail until justice can be given. And yet, if I focus on the others, then Jimmy could get away. However, the others, even Flay, will live.'_ Akira put his hands to his head as he tried to figure out what to do.

He knew what he had to do, but at the same time, his teammate Flay was in danger! Then, he got that sensation again, the odd pressure on his brain from his SEED. Akira's golden eyes snapped open as he looked up. Looking out at the Sparring Chamber, Akira frowned to himself before he made up his mind. Deciding the others were more important than one feeble bodied boy, Akira focused his attention on the control systems instead.

His fingers moved over the keys of his laptop as he began to force the intruder away from the vacuum creation system. His teeth gritted as he narrowed his golden eyes, sweat running down the sides of his face. The Coordinator activated the hacking engine and the firewall generation programs, running them in tandem as he worked on taking down the intruder's firewalls himself as well. With the hacking engine as the main attacking component, it distracted the intruder just enough for Akira's own programming skills to create the isolation around the system itself. Once the system was isolated, the firewall generation program kicked in and bolstered the firewalls of the targeted system. Akira's own programming skills only added to this defense, effectively stopping the attack in its tracks.

Once that was done, Akira focused on the tracking program, which was now isolating the source of the attack. Akira could see it was coming from a source outside the Hall of Heroes, but that wasn't the issue. The issue was isolating that source now. His fingers flew over his laptop's keyboard, working on isolating the source's connection. _'Okay... This should do it...'_

* * *

In his cell, Jimmy perked up as he heard the alarm sound before his cell door opened with a click. The boy giggled in delight. It seemed his ally and 'friend' had come through for him after all! Now that the cell was open, Jimmy pranced out and skipped down the hall, through the doors, and out of the Hall of Heroes. He has basically escaped with no one being the wiser~!

Looking back at the Hall of Heroes, Jimmy sneered. _'I hope that teaches you a lesson for interfering with my goals, Major Glory!'_ With that, Jimmy made his way away from the Justice Friends HQ.

* * *

Akira finally began to make some progress on getting the systems for the Sparring Chamber back under control. He had run through several more systems, bolstering their defenses and driving out the intruder's virus.

Now feeling the effects of exhaustion, Akira wanted to stop, but he knew he couldn't yet. Working on the latest system, the controls for the laser turrets in the Sparring Chamber, Akira finally managed to wretch control of that system from the intruder's grasp as well. Panting a bit, Akira then began to work on the source, finding the connection easily. He began to work on cutting that connection, using his hacking engine program to bypass the connection's firewalls. Then, after a few tense moments that felt like hours, he saw the words he was hoping to see: _"Connection Terminated"._

After a while, Akira ran a systems scan, waiting for the results he so desperately wanted to hear. Despite severe damage to all systems, the results came back clean. The intruder was no longer in the systems.

Feeling pure relief, Akira finally let his mental exhaustion take over his mind and he blacked out.

* * *

Major Glory, upon seeing the doors open, rushed out and to the control room, only to kick open the door and get greeted by the sight of Alex slumped over at his laptop, passed out. He had beads of sweat running from his face, and there were several programs up and running. Major Glory could see one was a hacking engine. Another one was a tracking program, showing the systems and servers of the Justice Friends' computer systems, and the last one was a firewall generation program if what he could see was correct.

Making his way over, the major could see something was different about these programs though, as they seemed a bit too advanced for him to understand fully. Looking at Alex again, Major Glory then looked back at the laptop, only to see the firewall generation program had on it a symbol that was unusual. It was a golden four point star with metal grey wings, a V-chevron that was silver, and a red pentagonal shape that was in the center of it all. The Z was a metallic grey color as well, much to the major's surprise. Major Glory looked back at Alex again. _'Is this who he works for...?'_

The symbol of peace knew he should ask Alex about this, but decided against it. It would probably scare the poor man off. _'No, I will let him tell me on his own time...'_

* * *

**Townsville**

Tsuranuki opened his eyes as he sat up. He rubbed his head. "Ugh... I will _never_ get used to this nausea..." He moaned. Looking back, he saw where the battle had taken place, not that he would be allowed near it. A snort escaped the boy before he got up and continued on his way to the Utonium house.

After a while, Tsuranuki made it. He reached up and knocked on the door. The red door opened, revealing the blonde-haired Powerpuff, Bubbles Utonium. "Hi. I'm Tsuranuki, the exchange student." He introduced.

Bubbles smiled. "We were wondering when you would get here!"

Tsuranuki rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Ehehe… Yeah... a battle took place so I had to go around it."

"Well, come in." Bubbles said as she opened the door wider for him.

The boy entered the house, just as Bubbles called out to her father. "Professor! The exchange student is here!"

A tall man entered the main room, smiling at his daughter. "I see. I hope your trip was just fine."

Tsuranuki just waved it off. "It was pretty uneventful, save for witnessing a battle. That's why I'm actually late. I had to avoid the battle zone."

Professor Utonium frowned at that. "Did you get hurt?"

"No, thanks to avoiding the battle site." Tsuranuki replied.

Professor Utonium smiled at hearing that. "Well, that's good. Bubbles, why don't you show Tsuranuki to the guest room?"

"Sure thing, Professor!" Bubbles chirped before she grabbed Tsuranuki's suitcase. "C'mon!"

The boy followed the blonde Powerpuff Girl up the stairs and to the guest room. "Here is where you're sleeping." Bubbles said happily.

"Heh. It's nice." Tsuranuki said as he entered and looked around.

"Dinner will be at 6, so don't be late!" Bubbles exclaimed happily before turning and running off, leaving the boy to his own devices.

Now alone, Tsuranuki sighed as he flopped back onto the bed after shutting the door to the room. He took out his blue, gold, and white cell-phone and began to text his friends. _'Perhaps something exciting is happening back in Tokyo...'_

* * *

**Nowhere Mountains**

Metabee and Ikki finished their story to Agent Six, who looked at them with a bit of disbelief, not that he showed it anyway. And yet, it made sense to the agent as well, considering the fact that Breach was behind it, from what it sounded like anyway.

"So, you were sent here somehow, and you found that girl in a pod, only to rescue her." Six summarized.

"That's basically the gist of it." Ikki confirmed.

"Sounds a bit out there, huh?" Metabee sheepishly chuckled.

Six gave them a bit of a smirk. "No, actually it doesn't."

"Huh?!" The two brothers were confused now.

"How is it not that out there?" Metabee asked in confusion as he tilted his head to the right a bit.

Six's smirk grew a little bit. "I've seen some weird shit myself."

Ikki blinked. Something about the way it was said made the boy believe what the man said. "Huh..."

Metabee looked down in thought at that point before looking back up. "Say, how _is_ the girl doing anyway? Has she woken up yet?"

Six frowned here before shaking his head sadly. "No, she has not yet woken up. We don't know what she was hit with, but whatever it is, it is keeping her asleep for a long time it seems."

Metabee frowned before looking at Ikki. "Hey, Ik, do you think it was that extendable arm guy who made her like that?"

Ikki looked at his brother and frowned in thought as he looked down. "It's possible..." The Meda-fighter admitted.

"Extendable arm guy?" Six asked as he looked at the Medabot.

"Yeah, some weird dude that has a golden arm that is robotic and can extend for long range attacks." Metabee explained. "He wore a coat of some kind, and his hair was black, with a pale face."

Six's eyes twitched a bit, revealing his slight surprise. "That sounds like an enemy of mine, Van Kleiss."

"Van Kleiss?" Ikki asked as Six nodded, only for a young man wearing goggles, an orange and white jacket, brown gloves, and blue jeans to enter the tent as well.

"Did someone mention Van Kleiss?" The young man asked.

Six looked at the man and smiled ever so slightly. "Yes, Rex. These two encountered him."

The young man, Rex, looked at Metabee and Ikki, seeing they were awake. "Well, it's good you two woke up. I'm Rex Salazar."

"Ikizu Tenryou, and this dim-bot here is my Medabot, Metabee." Ikki introduced.

"What's up?" Metabee asked with a wave and a grin.

Rex smiled as he entered and sat down. "So, you two fought Van Kleiss?"

"If you mean that extendable arm guy, then yeah, that's who we fought." Metabee replied, making Rex laugh at the gold and white Metabot's nickname for the former EVO.

"Extendable arm guy? That's a good nickname!" Rex cried in between bouts of laughter.

Six cleared his throat, making Rex stop his laughing. "Rex, we have more pressing matters, remember?" Rex sheepishly stopped laughing as Six looked back at the two brothers again. "So, what do you remember about where you encountered Van Kleiss?"

"Just that he had the girl with us in a pod, and he was very strong." Metabee replied. "If not for my armor and Ikki's quick thinking for plans, I'm pretty sure I would have been beaten."

Rex looked at the two again before looking at Six. "It sounds like he still can't use his nanites, if what we are hearing is correct."

Six nodded. "Yes, it would seem so."

Ikki and Metabee were confused, but decided not to pry into what the two men were talking about.

Six then looked back at the two brothers before them. "It would seem you two were lucky to escape. I have no doubt though that Van Kleiss will be looking for you down the road."

Metabee just gave a scoff. "Psh. We've been hunted down before by foes back where we're from."

Six frowned. "I see..."

* * *

**Zero Squad goes over what data they have on the sparring matches, just as the same accomplice for Jimmy strikes again, putting everyone in danger and making Akira push his computer skills to the limits to drive back the enemy, but at a cost: Jimmy escapes from the Hall of Heroes. At the same time, Zero and Shute meet up with their friends in GrimmFall, but what about this sealed form? And why does Saber Convoy want to meet up with these unknown ships? As for Tsuranuki, he arrives at the Utonium house without incident. Metabee and Ikki also wind up meeting Six and Rex formally, and learning a bit about Van Kleiss as well. What will happen next? Read on to find out~! :3 **


	15. Tale of Two Heights IV

**Here is another chapter~! :3**

**GCD: I thought that might be funny! XD And yeah, Yara will not be meeting the mini Gundams or Medabots... ^^'**

**merendinoemiliano: Glad you like the cyber battles! :D And there will be interaction more, trust me. :)**

**nightmaster000: Glad you liked it. :) And again, thank Maximus for those scenes with Zero Squad. He is a real help with some of these things. ^^ As for Akira, in the end, the idea of lives being more important is what his training dictates. In the end, Jimmy _will_ get justice brought to him, but it won't be for a while. Metabee won't get overconfident, trust me. ;3**

**Lord Maximus: No problem! Your scenes you send me help a lot for my story! Especially now because I am having a bit of a writing slump... ^^'**

**Titanic X: Glad you like it. :)**

**Guest: Glad you do, but **PLEASE** read my note below this. **\/\/\/

**Note: If any readers have an account, then please review using your account please. If you are too lazy to log in, then at least leave your account name so I can know who you are. If any reader does not have an account, then **_PLEASE_** use a **consistent - i.e. THE SAME** name when reviewing, **_not_** the usual 'Guest', so I can respond in a more personal manner, as the name 'Guest' does not seem too personable to me.**

_***"Cybertronian"***_

* * *

_***Files Accessed***_

_**File 8:**_**_ Saber Convoy_**

_The leader of Dimension O-000's Cybertronian Empire, this mech is one to be wary of when in battle. When outside of battle, Saber Convoy is actually quite the diplomat should the need arise._

* * *

**Earth Orbit**

Saber Convoy's ship drifted closer to the cluster of ships, still transmitting its IFF signal. But he was unsure if these ships could even pick up on the signal. With that in mind, he looked to Jazz. "Jazz, I want you to try and open a communications line with the lead ship of that cluster of ships."

"But which one is it?" Jazz asked, making the Supreme Commander sigh at the realization Jazz had pointed out.

"Good point..." The Convoy muttered.

Bumblebee looked out. "What if we try transmitting on all channels in general? Surely one of the ships would pick it up and alert the commander, right?"

Ironhide frowned. "Or they could attack us instead."

Saber Convoy frowned at that. "That is true. But it is a risk we must take." He then looked to Wheeljack before turning his gaze back to Jazz. "Wheeljack, begin transmission message. Jazz, once Wheeljack is done with the message, transmit the message out on all general channels to the ship cluster before us."

The two mechs nodded before setting about with their assigned tasks. Ratchet drifted over, looking at his commander. "So, what do you think will happen with these ships?"

"There are a few things that could happen. One, they open up to communications. Two, they could open fire on us. Three, they could ask us to surrender. Four, we may be asked to just leave. Or five, we are ignored." Saber Convoy replied, listing off the possible situations. "Or six, none of the above happens."

"Do you think it will be the last scenario?" Ratchet asked.

Saber Convoy nodded. "It most likely is."

"Message is being sent." Jazz reported, making the Convoy look back.

Saber Convoy nodded at the result. "Good. Now we just wait."

* * *

On his ship Gantu looked out, only to see a ship that was of unknown origins approaching. It was mostly gun-metal grey with hints of silver on its sides. A big red logo was on the area just below the bridge, and the wings were the same color as the body of the craft, with blue lines that ran down the center of the wings. The ship had guns out, revealing the hidden weapons bays on the sides of the ship above and below the wings. The wings were equipped with missiles, and a few missile bays were opened on the underside as well as on the sides just behind the wings. But what was even weirder was that this ship had an odd logo on its rudder, a four-pointed star that was gold in color with matching wings, a dark grey Z emblazoned on top of it, with a red pentagon below the Z, with a light grey V-chevron emerging from the pentagon itself.

"Sir, we have an unknown vessel approaching us. Insignia on it is an eerily accurate copy of the Autobot symbol, and it is transmitting a message over all broadcast channels." A bridge officer reported as Gantu frowned.

"Does it say what it's name is?" He asked as the officer looked back at the message.

"The message says the ship's name is the _Primarchial Defender,_ also called the _Arc_ for short." The bridge officer replied.

Gantu frowned some more. "What is their allegiance?"

"That's the thing..." The officer murmured. "It's indecipherable due to likely differing technologies, but if we go off of the insignia on it, I would have to guess the Cybertronian Empire."

Gantu pursed his lips as he ran through a few plans in his mind. It was clear this new ship was armed and was ready to attack, or defend itself. He would have to approach this situation cautiously. "Open a communications link with this _'Arc'_. I would like to see if they are who they claim they are."

The bridge officer nodded. "Yes, sir."

* * *

On the _Arc_, Saber Convoy perked up as the communications line beeped. Jazz looked over at it and saw someone from that fleet before them was trying to make contact. "Sir, we have a contact request."

Saber Convoy steeled himself for what was to come. "Open the line. Now we will see how these natives of this universe react to us."

The black and white mech nodded before opening the com-line. Up came a screen, which showed an alien none of the crew were familiar with. It was a giant, hulking alien resembling either a gray humanoid shark or whale. It wore a black spacesuit consisting of a tank shirt with thick red brims on his sleeves and matching linings vertically on both sides of it, and trousers with the same vertical linings on his leggings. It also wore a gray belt with a light gray "V" on the front, a holster on the right, and black wristbands.

Saber Convoy pursed his lips as the being spoke. _"_Primarchial Defender_, this is Captain Gantu of the United Stellar Alliance. State what your allegiance is or risk being fired upon."_

_'If there is any time I need to be the diplomat I need to be, this is it...'_ Saber Convoy thought before he spoke up. "My name is Saber Convoy, and my crew and I are from the Cybertronian Empire, native to the dimension known as O-000."

* * *

**GrimmFall**

Zero, Shute, Baku, and Guneagle were all busy, wondering how they could get back their ace-in-the-hole.

"So... how are we going go get our ace in the hole back?" Guneagle asked as he leaned back against a tree. They were outside around the old cabin, in an unseen clearing.

"That... is the mystery." Zero admitted. "None of us here know how."

Shute looked at Zero. "Can you try to summon your Mana to at least reveal the seal?"

"Alas, I cannot." Zero sighed sadly. "Even if I could, the Mana lei lines here are blocked by something, or at the very least infected by some sort of evil force that is slowly draining if not outright leeching the Mana away."

Baku frowned. "That doesn't sound good."

"Believe me, my comrades, it's not." Zero sighed.

Guneagle was deep in thought though, and that was what made the others look at him in confusion; normally he would have made a witty quip or a lame joke by now.

"Guneagle, is something wrong?" The Winged Knight asked as he approached the flying Gundam.

"Huh?" Guneagle looked up.

"You've been silent for a while." Shute pointed out.

"Oh. That's because I'm thinking about something. You see, before you two showed up, Bossanova here and I encountered something known as a Fallen." Guneagle explained as he folded his arms. "It was an elderly old lady, and she had this weird power; she could create wooden tentacles from her back. But what stood out about her were her eyes, which flashed red."

Zero looked disgusted while Shute looked quite disturbed. "Do you know what a Fallen is?" Shute asked.

"No, we don't." Guneagle said.

Baku folded his own arms across his chest. "But what I _did_ sense was an evil force, an aura so vile, it set even Guneagle on edge."

Zero looked at Guneagle. "It was that bad?"

Guneagle nodded. "It was. She set off my sensors and radar, but even without those, I could get a feeling that she was not a human."

Shute and Zero looked surprised. "Wow... Never expected that." Shute mused as Guneagle nodded.

* * *

**Nowhere Mountains**

The _Steelhaven_ hovered overhead, having escaped, albeit not without difficulty. The two Gundams, the Neo Blitz and the Bravo Raptor, were now onboard with their pilots resting.

Ultra Magnus looked over what damage the ship had sustained. It wasn't too bad but it was bad enough to where they would need repairs down the road.

"What is the damage status?" Prowl asked as he looked at his commander.

"We have some serious damages to the port side. Weapons there are offline, and the engines on that side are functioning at only 60% of their main power." Ultra Magnus replied gravely.

"So we are down some major weapons?" Prowl asked, concerned now.

Commander Lockheed walked up, his helmet in hand. "We're not down entirely. You guys can make it back to our dimension, and the lieutenant and I can head back to our ship. The jump-slip drive is working, so that should be no problem."

"Are you sure?" Ultra Magnus asked.

"We are." 1st Lt. Amalfi replied.

Prowl looked at his commander. "Sir?"

Ultra Magnus looked back at the two pilots. "You can head out. We will do the jump-slip back home."

Both pilots nodded and soon were taking off before the _Steelhaven_ jumped back to Dimension O-000.

* * *

**Ruins**

Heero was sitting in his room when General Allen entered. He looked up at her entering. "What is it?"

Mackenzie stood before him, the presidential air around her. "We should move locations to a new spot for the time being."

"Why?" Heero asked.

"I fear our current location is compromised." Mackenzie replied. "And it is not just because of Cree being on our ship. That Seer Grimm saw our location."

Heero pursed his lips at hearing that. He knew that was a good point, and one with valid concerns. "Then do you have any potential suggestions on where we could go to hide out in the meantime?"

Mackenzie nodded as she brought up an image of the city where one of the infiltration teams was located. "I am suggesting this place for now."

The ORB admiral's eyes went wide at seeing the suggestion location. He then slammed his hands down on his desk, his dark blue eyes flashing angrily. "And _why_ should we head to the city of GrimmFall to hide from Sammael when this Mayor Sebben can see the fucking future?!"

General Allen didn't even flinch, giving credit to her nature as the former President of the United States. "If you just hear me out, I will explain why."

Heero growled, but let her do just that. "Fine, but it had better be a _good_ reason."

Mackenzie gave one of her sneaky smirks. "In fact, that reason _is_ why."

Heero cocked an eyebrow at her reasoning. "Explain."

"It's simple really. If Mayor Sebben _is_ able to see the future, we could use that to keep our ship, and Cree, safe." General Allen explained. "At least, we could get close to him in a way, so if either of our spies got information on Sammael's actions, we can act accordingly."

Heero pursed his lips again. It did have some merit, but it was risky as well, too risky in his opinion. "If we do, we would have to find an out of the way location near the city, but from the geography of the area, that will be difficult."

General Allen sighed. "Yes, I know, but considering what is going on right now, we can't risk remaining near these ruins anymore. We have what information we could gather, and nothing else remains here for us. We studied all the weapons here, and found out what we could."

Heero sighed. "Very well. We will load up all of our vehicles and equipment and take off as soon as the last piece is on the ship."

* * *

The team soon began to dismantle everything and load up all the equipment they had been using. Cree watched as the crews went about their jobs, curious now. "What's with the loading up?"

"We're leaving the ruins." Mu replied from beside her. "It seems our cover is more at risk if we remain here than if we are in a location that is more... well... our cover is more at risk of being found out the longer we remain at the ruins."

Cree frowned. "So where is the ship headed after all this stuff is loaded up?"

Mu hesitated before he sighed. "Let's just say that things are a bit tricky with that. We have two places we could go; GrimmFall or an out of the way old ghost town."

Cree tensed up at the mention of the first location. "Why those two places?"

"It's more for security." Mu replied. "The ghost town, being out of the way and deserted, is perfect for us, as we could pretend to be the ghosts of the inhabitants long since deceased. However, being out of the way and deserted also makes it hard for us to find any information, and we can only learn so much by reading. GrimmFall is a large city with inhabitants we could blend in with, and we can observe the culture here more readily in the city. But, the fact there are so many people means we stand a higher chance of being found out about as well." Mu explained. "However, the chances of it being more in our favor are greater if we are at GrimmFall, so we have to take the chance."

Cree frowned. "You mean you have to take the chance so that Sammael doesn't reveal you guys on _his_ terms."

Mu nodded. "Yes. It's odd I know, but that's what General Allen figured would throw Sammael off our trail for at least the time being."

"He _will_ reveal you somehow," Cree pointed out.

"Yes, we know, but as I said, if we can reveal ourselves before then, it will be harder to paint us as invaders." Mu replied as he leaned against the wall of the ship's main corridor.

The Fox Faunus frowned. "But I'm a wanted criminal! If you head to GrimmFall with _me_ on your ship, it _will_ be found out and you _will_ be painted as sympathizers to Sammael!" She exclaimed.

Mu raised an eyebrow. "Really? We never said we would reveal you are on the ship."

Cree blinked. "Huh?"

"You are a prisoner right now." Mu pointed out. "You're only allowed to move about the ship because you haven't caused any trouble and have followed the rules we set for you so far."

Cree frowned. "Yeah, so?"

"So, despite being on Sammael's side, you aren't that bad a person." Mu replied gently. "You care about your sister, but you went to the wrong people for that help. You're a victim of your own actions as much as you are a victim of Sammael's control."

Cree sighed. "Yes, but I don't know if what you are doing will help me." She sighed again. "I mean, Sammael probably is going to try to use my betrayal against you guys for all you know."

Mu blinked, taking in that information. He then frowned. "Yes, Yuy mentioned that a while ago. We have to be careful here more than ever now."

Cree looked back at Mu again. "But what I don't understand is _why_ you want to head to GrimmFall with _me_ on your ship."

"It is for your protection." Mu replied. "From not just Sammael, but the others hunting you down as well."

Cree frowned again. "But you guys don't have Auras or Semblances. All you have is your military training. How can _you_ expect to stand a chance against skilled Hunters and Huntresses?"

Mu gave a bit of a mysterious smirk. "That. Cree, is our secret."

* * *

Within hours, the _Constitution_ was loaded up and everyone was onboard. Heero stood before the entire ship in the main briefing room. "Now, as you all are aware, we have been compromised by the being known as Sammael. Or at least, he is attempting to compromise us. As it stands, we have gained all knowledge we could from this place, which isn't much. So, there is no need to remain here any longer."

"So what are you saying? We're heading to a new location?" Nisha asked.

Heero nodded. "Yes. And the destination is the city of GrimmFall."

Everyone looked shocked. "The main city here?!" Yzak demanded. "Why are we headed there?!"

"It's because we can gain more information, and blend in." Heero explained.

Athrun frowned a bit here. "I think I see the plan. We can blend in and learn more about the culture, and it will allow us to keep tabs on what is going on because we would be at the heart of what is to come, if anything _does_ happen."

Heero nodded. "That's the plan."

Yzak gave a grunt. "It seems everything we do is half-assed, but... given where we are, it makes sense I guess."

Tao looked back at Heero. "You do know that Mayor Sebben may be aware of us arriving, right?"

Heero gave her a bit of a smirk. "That's what I'm counting on. If we show up there, then, even if he is aware of us arriving, we can use his ability to our advantage."

Tao frowned, but didn't bother to counter his argument or reasoning. It was sound, in a way.

"So, do we leave now?" Kira asked as Heero nodded.

"We do." Heero confirmed.

Tao looked back at Captain Ramius. "Well, you heard the admiral."

Captain Ramius chuckled a bit. "Very well." She then looked at the assembled crew. "All crew, we are taking off. Prepare for take-off preparations at once!"

The crew members ran to do just that, Leo and Cree not among them.

As soon as the ship was ready, the GN Drives powered up. Once the _Constitution_ had enough power, the ship lifted off, leaving the ruins behind, including the once lavish tomb of the late King Ozric, the body of whom they had on their ship.

* * *

**GrimmFall**

Omnimon looked at Shannon and Donnie, the threesome all willing to catch up. "So, it sounds like you had some tough fights." Donnie noted.

"Yes, I did." Omnimon confirmed. "The hardest one was against Blue Diamond, one of the Gem leaders."

Shannon gave a bit of a wince. "Yikes. Makes me glad you survived it."

"Believe me, if not for my Omni Force Semblance in its Brave Shield form, I _would_ have not survived." Omnimon said grimly, no pun intended.

"Did you find your missing friend?" Donnie asked as Omnimon shook his head.

"No. In fact, I forgot about my search for him with what went on during that time." Omnimon admitted sadly.

Donnie frowned. "Well, hopefully you will find him soon."

Omnimon nodded, his mind elsewhere. _'I may find Gallantmon, but it won't be easy to beat him or snap him out of his brainwashed state unless I have help of some kind.'_

The Grimm Slayer only hoped things would be that simple, even though he knew they wouldn't be.

* * *

Agunimon, Lowemon, and Kazemon were all in the training room, each sparring with each other or against the training drones to try and get stronger or to test their skills.

It wasn't until they each decided to take a break that they could talk. Lowemon sat on the ground while Kazemon sat on top of a pile of destroyed drones as Agunimon leaned against the wall.

"So, what teams do you think we will each be assigned to?" Kazemon asked as she looked at her two fellow Legendary Warriors. Agunimon frowned at the question.

"I'm not sure..." He admitted. He then looked down. "But I hope they are teams we can work with..."

Kazemon looked nervous, which made Lowemon give her a concerned glance. She was currently not exactly the strongest, although he himself was the weakest, as he had yet to achieve his Beast Spirit form.

Agunimon looked back at Kazemon, and worry was on his face. He then looked down, his hands gripping his upper arms tightly. He hated to admit it, but he was nervous; he was nervous about going out to fight against these Red Caps, he was nervous about who Kazemon would be paired with, and he was nervous for Lowemon's safety, considering the Warrior of Darkness had yet to reach his Beast Spirit form.

The Warrior of Flame hated feeling this way, but it couldn't be helped. Deep down, Agunimon wondered if he or Lowemon would be paired with Kazemon. _'It would be best if one of us was...'_

The three Digimon were silent for a while before the doors to the training room opened, making them look back, revealing Valhallen. He had a smile on his face, which meant it was something good.

* * *

In his room, Akira opened his eyes, revealing their usual golden color. He sat up, wondering what had happened. "Ugh..." His hand went to his head, only for his eyes to snap open as memories of the cyber attack came back to him. "Aw slag!"

Getting up, Akira felt dizzy for a moment before he steadied himself and made his way over to his laptop, which was now turned off. He booted it up, only to see all programs were still running, or rather, in a standby state. Sighing, Akira then ran through the history of the programs, only to see they were untouched. The Coordinator shut down the programs before shutting down his laptop.

He leaned back in the chair before opening his eyes again. It had been a harsh cyber battle, but he had done what he could. Looking back, Akira saw his sunglasses on the table. He reached over and picked them up before putting them on, just as this odd pressure filled his mind, coming from his SEED. Akira looked back, only to see the door open seconds later. It was Major Glory. Akira frowned as he saw the major.

"I see you're awake Alex." Major Glory noted as he walked in.

"Yeah... Why do you want to know?" Akira asked.

The symbol of peace smiled. "I want to thank you for your actions yesterday."

Akira's eyes went wide beneath his sunglasses. "I was out since yesterday?!"

"Yes, from the stress of your defense of our cyber network it seems." Major Glory said somberly. He then smiled again. "But you did more than just save our network. You saved the lives of everyone in the Hall of Heroes."

Akira looked down. "I just did my job..."

Major Glory smiled again. "Your skills with computers are truly something else, like someone who is a prodigy with them, if not more so."

Hearing that, Akira's pulse went up in anxiety. "You... you t-think so?"

"Oh, absolutely!" Major Glory declared. "In fact, that may be why all of us survived that malfunction in the Sparring Chamber."

Akira looked back at his laptop. "But it _wasn't_ a malfunction. It was a deliberate attack, and from the one who helped Jimmy."

Major Glory frowned at hearing that. "Yes, and it was discovered that Jimmy escaped."

Akira groaned at that. "Yeah, I know. I was aware of the fact the attack was a distraction, but..." He gritted his teeth here. "I couldn't just sit back and let everyone _die_ to stop some kid from escaping!"

Major Glory walked over to the undercover Coordinator and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You did what you had to do. Yes, it is a shame that Jimmy escaped, but he can always be recaptured. Your actions of saving more lives weren't wrong."

Akira laughed grimly, no pun intended. "Sure they weren't..."

Major Glory then looked at Akira again. "When you were brought back here, I caught sight of your computer, which had an odd symbol on it."

The pilot froze. "Oh... Y-you did?"

The symbol of peace nodded. "Yes. Would you care to explain that?"

Akira ran through several lies before he settled on one that seemed plausible. "It's just a symbol for one of my programs I wrote. It's nothing special."

Major Glory blinked, but he accepted the story. Or so it seemed...

* * *

**Townsville**

Tsuranuki was impressed.

That much he could admit.

"Wow..." he muttered, looking around. "And I thought Tokyo was something else..."

Blossom giggled as she hovered close to him. "Well, glad ya think so," she admitted. "It's not much, but it's home to us."

"So, where would you like to go first?" Bubbles chirped from beside her sister. The Driver looked to her and shrugged.

"Wherever," he remarked. "You're leading me on this tour, remember?" He grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head at this.

"Then I know where!" Bubbles chirped. Her hand lashed out and she grabbed onto the boy's arm. "C'mon!" Tsuranuki yelped as Bubbles and Blossom took to the air, dragging him along for the ride. He let out a yelp as he was pulled airborne.

The boy glanced down and his stomach twisted itself in knots. This was his first time flying, and it kind of terrified him. But the more he looked down, the more he could see of the city, and his engineering brain took over. He mapped out some possible locations of where Grimm could strike, or where a Kaiju could strike, and he filed those away for later use in his mind. '_Better to be safe than sorry,_' he thought.

Blossom and Bubbles flew for a few minutes more before descending to where a large theater sat abandoned in the middle of the downtown area.

Tsuranuki was let down first before the two landed beside him. "Huh... why'd you bring me here?" he asked.

"This is the place where we first battled a Grimm," Blossom remarked, gesturing to several overturned cars and craters close by. "And it's also a historical landmark that's been scheduled for demolition since its original owner disappeared some time back. It was Townsville's first theater, and it served as a concert hall for many singers and performers until twenty years ago."

Tsuranuki could see the significance of the place, as Tokyo had several such theaters of their own, as well as Tokyo Tower.

"I see," he mused. "But if the place is condemned, we can't go in, remember?"

"I know," Blossom admitted. "I wasn't thinking of that. I just wanted to show you one of our historical landmarks before it was torn down to make way for a new apartment complex."

The boy pursed his lips. "Surely if this place has such significance, people are petitioning to have it restored, right?" he asked.

Bubbles shook her head. "The rumor here is that it's haunted by the ghost of its owner... and that the owner's body is hidden somewhere inside."

Tsuranuki felt his body freeze at that, and a shudder raced down his spine. He gulped nervously. But he managed to remain calm as best he could. "Is there any validation of this rumor?" he asked.

Blossom looked back at the old building, then shrugged. "No one can say for sure," she admitted. "There have been strange things happening here over the last few weeks, but most just chalk it up to the fact the place is falling apart."

However, Tsuranuki wasn't liking this one bit. He swept his gaze over the old building, taking note of the decaying structure and floors. Already weeds were poking through the old parking lot, and vines were starting to crawl up the sides. Nature was reclaiming its former spot, and windows were broken along the first floor. Everything else was in just as bad a shape as the first floor. The sign was barely holding together and he instinctively inched back, as if expecting the old letter M to come plummeting down to the pavement below.

His eyes narrowed as he looked up at the third story windows...

And his heart leapt into his throat.

One of the old windows was open...

_And something was staring back at him!_

The boy yelped and staggered back in shock and fright.

"Tsuranuki?" Blossom tilted her head. "You okay?"

"Y-Yeah... but what _was_ that?" he rasped, clutching at his racing heart. The LinkNode pulsed in time with his rapid heartbeat, and he shuddered, trying to calm himself down.

"What was what?" Bubbled asked as she looked at the window. "I don't see anything."

But Tsuranuki knew he had seen _something_ up there.

And it looked too ghostly to be a Grimm or organic lifeform...

* * *

**Nowhere Mountains**

Ikki and Metabee soon were filled in on what Van Kleiss was capable of, and the two brothers were stunned.

"So, this guy can create these EVOs?" Ikki asked. "Wow... that sounds scary."

Metabee shivered. "Yeah. We're just lucky he couldn't do so to you, Ikki."

Rex frowned. "Yeah, you two _were_ lucky."

Six looked at the two off-worlders. "From what we are hearing, it seems Van Kleiss may be planning something, but as to what, we don't know."

Metabee looked back down at the ground. "I don't think Ikki and I can fill you in, because we have no clue ourselves."

Six sighed. It would appear it was a dead-end then...

* * *

_**Constitution**_

The famed cloaked ship was flying through the air, heading towards GrimmFall. As it made its way there, Heero was looking out the main window of the bridge. Cree was beside him, looking out the window as well.

"What's your plan when you get to GrimmFall?" The Faunus asked as Heero looked back at her.

"That, Cree, we cannot reveal." The Enhanced human replied. "But what we _can_ say is that it will be something only Mayor Sebben will be aware of, with his Gem of Sight."

Cree raised an eyebrow. "You do realize he can see _many_ futures at once, correct?"

Heero smirked. "That, Cree, is what we are counting on."

Cree blinked in confusion. "Huh?"

"Let's just say we have a reputation for making the impossible possible." Heero said vaguely, remembering Mu's own words. Cree blinked at that, wondering what it meant.

But the admiral didn't give anymore explanation, instead returning his gaze to the scenery below the ship. He was silent for a moment before Technical Sergeant Haww spoke up. "We have radar contact. It appears to be coming from an airport of some kind. We're nearing the city outskirts."

Heero looked back as he walked over to her station. Sure enough, there was radar activity on the screen. He nodded. "Find us a clear spot to land, even if it is not in the city itself. We just have to be near it."

Technical Sergeant Haww looked over the radar data and maps of the area, Cree coming over as well. The fox Faunus looked over the maps before one spot stood out to her. She pondered on how it would be useful to Sammael though before she saw another spot. It was more open yes, but at the same time, it would be useful because Sammael would be counting on there being trees around. However, if he attacked in plain view, then it would seem like the ship was the bad guys. Cree frowned before she looked back at the secluded spot. It was tempting yes, but in the end, the more open area won out, namely because it could be used against Sammael more clearly.

"There." Cree said as she pointed at the map. "Land here."

Heero looked back at Cree. "And why should we land in a more open area as opposed to the secluded one we are looking at?"

"Just think about it." Cree insisted.

Heero looked down, considering the options. _'Sammael would be able to use the fact we were hiding in the woods against us. He could claim we were trying to launch a sneak attack, and thus justify the attack on us. But if we were to go into a more open location, not only would Sammael be attacking people around our location, he would be attacking us as well. Basically, if Sammael attacks, it will look like he is attacking the civilians around our location. Therefore, we could_ _use _that_ as justification for our own defense.'_

Heero pondered her words before he made up his mind. "Very well. We will land in that clearing ahead."

Cree gave a nod, hoping that Sammael wouldn't figure out whatever the admiral had figured out from her suggestion. As it was, she was certain Sammael was aware of the possibility of an attack from such a location. But what _did_ work in the ship's favor was the fact that this clearing was close to the Hall of Heroes. It was in an open park area that was large, so it was perfect.

Heero could see it and while he didn't like the idea, it _did_ have merit. _'You had better be right on this Cree...'_

* * *

Once the ship was descending, Heero stood on the bridge, watching everything going on outside. He looked back as a form came up to him. It was an older man, one who looked to be in his sixties if not early seventies.

"Something on your mind, Admiral?" The man asked as Heero sighed.

"Can we trust Cree? And can we even make a difference in this world?" The younger Admiral asked.

The older man smiled. "If you just keep moving, you might be surprised. And as for Cree, well... isn't it hate that breeds hate, bigotry that breeds bigotry? After all, hating an entire race for an irrational reason will only bring down others, even those who have done thing wrong.. Our universe learned that the hard way, didn't we?"

Heero looked back before he closed his eyes and smiled. "Heh... I guess we did, didn't we?"

The older man laughed as he reached out and patted the admiral on the back. "That's the way to look at it, son!"

Heero then looked back at the older man. "But what does that have to do with Cree and our issue of trusting her?"

"Well, if you can't trust her, then aren't you proving to be just as bad as those humans who hate Faunus?" The man retorted.

The admiral frowned. "This isn't about her genetics, it's about her working for Sammael."

"Even if she wasn't, would you trust her?" The older man asked as he raised an eyebrow.

Heero sighed. "Look, just tell me. Can we trust her because of her past association with Sammael?"

The older man put a hand on Heero's shoulder. "Only you can determine that, Admiral Yuy." He said solemnly. "Because if you don't, then what would that say to Cree? She is in need of help, and there are humans here who _can_ help her, but yet they won't because of who she worked for. Her mind becomes filled with hatred and she goes back to Sammael, bringing with her your secrets. But what if you _did_ help her? What would that say about humans to her? Humans have vilified her because of her desire to help her sister by going to the big bad of this universe. But humans _can_ help her despite that. She is not trusted by her home universe. If _we_ can show her understanding and help her, then we can show that there is still hope for her."

Heero looked back up into the man's eyes, giving a solemn nod. "You're right. We can't hate her because of what she has done, or because of who she works for. We have to show her acceptance despite who she worked for. However, many hate her because she is also a Faunus too, one that works for Sammael. That has created tension between humans and Faunus here. If we can show her that we are willing to be understanding, we can show she is not irredeemable as well."

The older man smiled at hearing that. "Now _that_ is what I like to hear!"

Heero laughed at the man's reaction. "Shouldn't you be getting back to working on the Gundams and their maintenance?"

"I probably should." The older man laughed. "I'll see you around, Admiral! Excelsior!"

With that, Chief Mechanic Lee walked off to get back to his duties, leaving Heero alone with the bridge crew in the bridge once more.

* * *

In the Hall of Heroes, Akira and Flay met up, with Akira feeling an odd pressure in his mind. He knew, on some instinctual level, that it was Flay's presence he was sensing. He looked back, just as he saw her approaching.

"Hey." Flay said. It was just the two of them, so they were free to use their real names. "You okay, Aki'?"

Akira sighed. "No, not really..." He admitted. "I've been getting this odd pressure in my brain lately, first around that Johnny guy, then around Major Glory and Valhallen, and now around you, Flay."

Flay frowned at his words. "What's odd is that I sensed a new presence, but imagine my surprise when it came from you."

Akira looked down at his hands. "What is going on? Why are our SEEDs acting like this?"

Flay then perked up. "Wait... You said you were aware of this pressure when Major Glory and Valhallen were around?"

Akira looked back at Flay. "Yeah. Why?"

Flay thought back to when her Newtype senses first awakened. It had been an odd pressure in her mind, much the same as Akira's. But now that she thought about it... She looked back up at him. "Aki'... I think you're awakening Newtype abilities..."

Aki's eyes widened as he heard that. "What?!"

"Think about it for a moment." Flay insisted. "That odd pressure when around beings of great power, you being able to sense me, doesn't that sound like Newtype abilities?"

Akira frowned. "Flay, just because..."

"And being able to see Thor's specter. I was able to, but so were you." Flay continued. "And if you think about it, I think the reason we have been on edge is because of the fact that we have the SEED. Remember that theory that the SEED and Newtype abilities were once one and the same?"

Akira looked down. "That's just a theory with no solid evidence." He countered as he looked back up at her.

Flay frowned as well. "Just think about it." She insisted. "If not for that pressure, you wouldn't have known about Major Glory coming in, or Valhallen. And you wouldn't have been able to sense me."

Akira looked down again. That last part did have _some _merit to it... "So, provided your theory is correct, how do we test for if I have Newtype abilities?"

Flay looked down at his words. "Oh..."

Just then, Akira perked up as he got that odd pressure in his mind again. Flay looked up as well, her Newtype senses picking up on the same thing. "The others..."

Akira frowned. "You sensing a familiar presence? Like it's calm, but easy going and competent?"

"If you mean Mu by that, then yes, I am." Flay replied with a bit of a grin.

Akira looked back at her with a bit of a deadpan look. "Just because I picked up on that it doesn't meant I have Newtype senses."

"No, but we _can_ go to the ship to get confirmation if we so choose to~!" Flay pointed out in a sing-song tone.

Akira groaned. "Flay, I am _not_ just heading to the ship to prove a theory you have!"

Flay sighed. "Well, one way or another, it _will_ have to be addressed sooner or later."

Aki' looked back out the window, hoping that this was just an odd coincidence. But something told him it was not...

* * *

Mayor Sebben perked up as he felt the Gem of Sight kick in again. This time, an open space was shown before it showed that same space again, but with a shimmering form that slowly became visible before it abruptly changed to show several forms in shadow, but among them were Alex and Fiona, each clad in a white suit of some kind that bore the same symbol as those that threatened Satyra before. Then the images changed to show a form attacking the city, only for a winged form to launch from what looked like the silhouette of a ship of some kind before a _massive_ golden beam of energy sped towards the attacking form. Then, the visions ended.

Frowning, the mayor pursed his lips. It seemed his hunch on the two being members of this group was spot on. But what this group wanted, he didn't know. _'But that begs the question, _why_ did they come here to GrimmFall itself? Is there a reason?'_

Looking out the window, Mayor Sebben could see the open park nearby, but there was no shimmering form, which was to be expected. Nothing was there. _'But soon there will be...'_ Mayor Sebben mused with a grim look on his face, no pun intended.

* * *

After the feast, Agunimon was in his guest room again, lying on his bed. But his mind was not on any mission or tactics. No, he was wondering if his family was okay. Tilting his head back, the Warrior of Flame let his gaze wander to the outside, where he could see the sky above. It was dark out, just like it was in his room, and the stars shone down on the city, even if most could not be seen due to the city lights that remained on.

Agunimon could only wonder what his little brother was doing right now, and if his parents were worried about him. Thinking of that sent a pang of guilt through his heart. Then again, he couldn't help the fact that he and his friends had been abducted by some interdimensional entity.

Sighing, the Digimon rolled over and sat up, putting his head in his hands. _'Mom, Dad, Shinya... Are you guys doing okay? Do you wonder where I am...?'_ Closing his eyes, the Legendary Warrior hid his face with his hands as tears ran down his cheeks.

Looking up again as he removed his hands from his face, Agunimon wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, standing up as he did so. Slowly, he walked over to the window and sat down on the ledge, his right leg on the ledge, his right arm resting on his knee as he leaned against the wall and looked out the window. He was not sure how long he sat there in silence, but he was sure it was for quite a while before the door opened, throwing his room into light. Looking back, Agunimon was surprised to see Kazemon enter his room, the door sliding shut behind her. "Kazemon?"

"Hey..." Kazemon said as she looked away for a moment. "Um... You doing okay?"

Agunimon blinked his eyes, wondering why she would ask that. "Yeah, I am. Why?"

"Oh... No reason..." Kazemon murmured, looking down.

Her fellow Digimon became a bit concerned at that. "Is something wrong?"

Kazemon gave a squeak of surprise. "N-no!" She stammered out, but she was unable to hide what she was feeling. Agunimon could see the way she was trying to avoid his gaze as well as her nervousness.

Getting up from his seat on the window ledge, Agunimon walked over to Kazemon. "Kazemon... is something wrong?"

"N-no! Nothing is wrong at all!" Kazemon stammered again, but Agunimon didn't believe her.

"Kazemon... something _is_ wrong. I can tell." Agunimon said as he reached her. "Why else would you be here?" He reached up and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I want to know what it is so I can help. I don't like seeing you like this, so please tell me, what is wrong?"

Kazemon remained silent for a moment before she finally sighed with a slight hiccup. Now Agunimon could see something glistening in the dim light that barely shone into his room. The shimmering was coming from her cheeks, which was indicative of crying. Concerned now, Agunimon felt worry cross his features. "Kazemon...?"

In a sudden turn of events, Kazemon wound up suddenly jumping onto Agunimon, knocking him back onto his bed with a surprised yelp. The Warrior of Wind sniffed slightly before she just wrapped her arms around him. "H-hey... Kazemon, what's gotten into you?"

"It... It's nothing..." Kazemon tried to lie, but found it difficult to continue to lie, _especially_ to her best friend.

Agunimon frowned at this. "Kazemon… what's wrong?"

Kazemon couldn't speak, instead just shaking as she tried to keep herself together. But slight hiccups came from her every now and then, making the Warrior of Flame worried now. Gently, and hesitantly, Agunimon reached out and wrapped his arms around her shaking form. As soon as Kazemon felt his arms encircle her, she let herself fall onto Agunimon's body fully, her head burrowed into the crook of his neck, resting on his broad shoulder. It was clear now that Kazemon was scared and she needed the comfort of a familiar presence, which was probably why she had sought him out.

"Kazemon… it's going to be okay..." Agunimon whispered to her, his voice soothing and gentle. He reached up and his left hand found its way onto her head, resting there gently and stroking it in a calming manner. His other hand remained on her back, rubbing gently right between her wings.

"I..." Kazemon hiccupped slightly. "I'm scared..."

Agunimon felt his heart ache at her words. "I..." His voice trailed off, his words getting caught in his throat. Instead, he just hugged her a bit tighter, still rubbing her head gently with his left hand. "It's going to be okay..."

"I... I just want to go home..." Kazemon finally admitted. "I miss my family, and the Digital World..."

Agunimon could sympathize with her, as that had been what he had been thinking about just a few minutes before she came into his room. "I know... I do too..." He admitted at last. "I want to go home too..."

"W-why... Why did we get sucked into that portal thing and end up here?! Why couldn't we have just been left alone?!" Kazemon rasped out, her form shaking even more how. "I just want to go home and never come back here!"

Agunimon couldn't help but feel bad for her. He just remained where he was, rubbing her head gently still. "It's going to be okay. We... We will get home." He told her gently. "I don't know how... but we will... somehow..."

The two Legendary Warriors remained like that for some time, Agunimon just comforting Kazemon. He was not sure how long they remained like that, but it was obviously quite some time. After some time like that, Kazemon's crying had settled down and she lifted her head from his shoulder. Agunimon and Kazemon stared at one another in the dim light that shone in from the city lights outside. Kazemon swore that she was seeing things in the light, as she was sure Agunimon was not that handsome. And yet, she could clearly see that he was. Gently, Kazemon's hand drifted up to his face, cupping his cheek tenderly.

Agunimon on the other hand, swore Kazemon didn't normally look so angelic. Her wings glimmered in the dim light, looking sort of spectral and yet entrancing, which only added to her mysterious allure. He felt a lump form in his throat before he swallowed nervously. He could feel her hand gently cupping his cheek, and slowly, she leaned in towards him. The Warrior of Flame felt his heart beat pick up as he saw that and he began to feel something stir within him. "K-Kazemon?" He rasped out, nervous now.

Kazemon's other hand landed on his lips gently, silencing any protests that he had yet to say. Then, when she removed her fingers, she smiled softly, and yet sadly, at him. "You know as well as I do that we won't get home so easily."

Agunimon could feel her breath close to his face and he gulped slightly. "We... we will find a way..." He murmured. He could see her face more clearly now, and the tear streaks on her face glistened in the dim light, making it look as though she was giving off light herself.

The male Digimon gulped again, forcing down the lump that was in his throat. "Kazemon… Don't worry. We... We _will_ get home. Somehow, someway, we _will_ get home..."

In the dim light of his room, Kazemon could see Agunimon's face more clearly. His blue eyes were sparkling in the light, making it seem like they were aglow with the light itself. She could also see how well defined his face was. Of course, he didn't have the square lantern jaw that Major Glory had, but it didn't matter. His facial features didn't look like they were chisled out either, which only made him seem more attractive to her. Gently, Kazemon reached up with her free hand and brushed aside a loose strand of blonde hair that had fallen in front of his vision slightly. Then, she found herself leaning in towards Agunimon again. And before she knew it, her lips met his, causing his blue eyes to widen in shock before slipping closed. Agunimon held her closer to his form in response, returning the kiss. Kazemon finally pulled away after a bit, only to wipe her eyes. "I... I'm sorry..." She sniffed. "I... I just..."

Agunimon, for his part, just reached up and wiped away her remaining tears from her right cheek. "It's okay..." He murmured before smiling softly. "You just needed someone to be there for you."

Kazemon gave Agunimon a soft smile in return before she laid her head on his broad chest, letting him hold her in comfort. His left hand resumed stroking the back of her head gently, the gentle strokes lulling her into a sense of security and safety. The two remained like that for a while before Kazemon finally fell into the depths of sleep. Her gentle breathing and the warmth of her against him also lulled Agunimon into a sense of security before sleep too came to claim him.

* * *

_**The heiress is hunted down**_

_**(**A young blonde-haired woman wearing a pink outfit is shown**)**_

**_Her protectors are no more_**

_**(**Shows seven short men laying in the ruins of their crashed car**)**_

**_And her arch-nemesis is closing in_**

_**(**A man wearing a purple hat, mask, and cape laughs as he looms over the woman, who is bound up on a table**)**_

**_With only one person standing in his way_**

_**(**A male form in shadow is shown, sharp blue eyes glinting before something is thrown, metal gleaming in the dim light**)**_

"Say your prayers, Penelope Pitstop!"

_**(**__The masked man holds up a rat, which begins to naw on a rope holding a large spiked bed above the woman**)**_

"Now, the Pitstop fortune will be mine!"

**_(_**_A gleam of steel flashes past, cutting the ropes of the woman, allowing her to roll off the table**)**_

"My name? It's-"

_**(**__A blonde-haired young man is shown, looking down, his eyes filled with guilt and remorse**)**_

"I'm Penelope, Penelope Pitstop."

_**(**__The woman smiles at the young man, who looks back up at her**)**_

_**With her fortune on the line, she tries to stay alive**_

_**(**Her guardian, wearing a green suit with a purple tie, smiles he looks at her in what is a falsely caring manner, a shadowed image behind him**)**_

_**And her only aid is a newcomer with no known past**_

_**(**The young man is knocked back, landing against a cavern wall, looking up as he wipes away blood running down from the side of his mouth**)**_

_**But can the heiress last until her 18th birthday?**_

_**(**Her guardian sneers as he reads the newspaper, which reads 'ANTHILL MOB ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT!'**)**_

_**(**The blonde-haired young man stands in front of the heiress, a strange knife-like weapon in his hand**)**_

_**Or will her arch-nemesis claim her family fortune?**_

_**(**The masked man laughs as he stands in his current lair, his cloak billowing out behind him, the white interior revealed**)**_

_**(**The white interior of the cloak is shown on the young man, but with the purple exterior on the inside**)**_

_**(**The young man looks up, an odd head-band on his forehead bearing a leaf-like symbol on it**)**_

_**The story unfolds**_

"Me? I'm-"

**_PENELOPE PITSTOP'S PERILS_**

**_COMING SOON THIS FALL TO A FANFIC SITE NEAR YOU!_**

* * *

**Saber Convoy goes to find out what the new ships are while the Gundam Force ponders on what to do next. Zero Squadron heads to GrimmFall while the two agents there theorize the evolution of their SEEDs. Ikki and Metabee find out what they can about Van Kleiss while in Townsville, Tsuranuki learns more about the city as Agunimon and Kazemon have a small moment together!~ What happens next? Read on to find out~! :3 Don't forget to read and review! ^^**


	16. Tale of Two Heights V

**Here is another chapter~! :3**

**GCD: Glad you enjoy it! :3**

**merendinoemiliano: I have no idea yet... ^^'**

**nightmaster000: Glad you liked it all! :D**

**Lord Maximus: That would be appreciated! :D**

**Titanic X: Glad you like it. :)**

**Note: If any readers have an account, then please review using your account please. If you are too lazy to log in, then at least leave your account name so I can know who you are. If any reader does not have an account, then **_PLEASE_** use a **consistent - i.e. THE SAME** name when reviewing, **_not_** the usual 'Guest', so I can respond in a more personal manner, as the name 'Guest' does not seem too personable to me.**

_***"Cybertronian"***_

* * *

_***Files Accessed***_

_**File 9: Gem of Ability**_

_A mysterious artifact, the Gem of Ability is but one of the Twelve Spiral Gems. Able to grant its wielder any ability, this gem is highly sought after, with its location of protection being Lucha Academy in Mexico. However, those unsavory characters who seek to claim it will instead allow the 7 'Keys' to unlock the power of their secret weapon once more..._

* * *

**GrimmFall**

In the park, the Gundam Force was resting when something suddenly flashed outside the old cabin where they were currently hiding out.

Zero, Shute, Baku, and Guneagle all perked up and looked at each other before getting to their feet and running/hovering out of the cabin. The flash of light faded as the foursome reached the location. In the fading light of the flash, Shute and Zero could see the forms of Captain Gundam and Princess Rele. However, Shute and Zero were on guard after that illusion they had been trapped in. Zero stood at the ready to cast a spell in defense of the others if this was indeed another illusion.

"Captain...?" Shute asked, wary. He could sense the bond he had with Captain, but was it possible it could be faked?

Captain looked back at Shute. "Shute?!" The Gundam Force leader wanted to run over to his best friend, but he was frozen in place when he saw the wariness in Shute's green eyes.

Rele was frowning at the look Zero was giving her. "What is with that look, Sir Zero? Do you not trust me?"

Guneagle spoke up. "Just answer the questions asked honestly, and things will be explained." Guneagle said as he eyed the two remaining members of their unit.

Rele frowned, but nodded. "Very well. What questions do you have in mind?"

Zero had a hard look in his teal colored eyes. "What is Captain's most embarrassing memory?"

Rele cocked an eyebrow, curious as to which memory Zero meant.

Shute blushed red, as did Captain, but Captain gave the embarrassing response. "Zero! I explicitly gave you the order to never mention that!" The lead Gundam squeaked out, which was very rare for him to do; it only happened three other times, namely whenever said incident was mentioned.

Rele laughed nervously. "Oh, Mana... _That_ is what you meant..."

Baku then looked at Rele. "Okay, who walked in on Princess Rele when she was trying to get ready for the day once?"

Rele frowned. "It was Guneagle. Father had never been so surprised in his life."

"And what was Zero's reaction?" Guneagle asked.

"He managed to place a bad luck spell on you that lasted for three days because he thought you were trying to peep." Rele replied as Guneagle groaned.

"Yep... it's them, Zero..." Guneagle moaned.

Captain then looked at Zero. "Care to explain why the checking of us?"

Zero sighed. "It is a long story, my comrades... One that I fear you may find quite... disturbing to say the least..."

* * *

In the Hall of Heroes, Akira perked up as he got that pressure from his SEED again, only it was different this time. It felt more like... grief and sadness than anything else. He looked back and frowned. _'Is someone upset? If they are... what is it that they are upset about?'_ He wondered to himself. His eyes widened as he realized he was picking up on the emotional feelings of another person or being. _'Ah, slag... Does that mean I am truly a SEED-type now? Oh boy...'_

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. _'I guess I'd better find out what is going on...'_

* * *

**Digimon Dimension**

In a vast world made of data, three forms were working on trying to locate their chosen protectors. It seemed impossible, but they were not going to give up, even if it took all of their power.

Cherubimon grunted as he channeled more of his power into the search for the Legendary Warriors. So far, there had been no sign or even a presence he, Seraphimon, or Ophanimon could pick up on. But they were not quitting, even if it was supposed to be impossible.

"Any luck?" Seraphimon asked as Ophanimon shook her head.

"No luck, I'm afraid." The female Celestial Angel replied sadly.

Cherubimon felt frustration building inside him. It was he who had sensed the children were in danger, and he had tried to help them, but something had prevented him from getting there in time, arriving just as the portal had closed.

"Is there _any_ way to find them?!" He growled as he slammed a fist against the wall of the chamber where they were currently located.

Ophanimon looked at Cherubimon with a glance of sympathy. "I wish it were that simple. Whatever took the Legendary Warriors is somehow blocking our ability to locate them. Even their D-Tectors are blocked from our sight."

Cherubimon suddenly looked contemplative. "Maybe not..." He mused.

Seraphimon looked at his fellow Celestial. "What do you mean?"

Cherubimon looked back up. "If you recall, I am stronger than both of you, am I not?"

Both human Celestial Digimon nodded, wary now.

Cherubimon smiled. "Then I should be able to at least get through to their D-Tectors."

Seraphimon frowned. "But we have been trying with all three of us to contact the children. What makes you think you can do it alone?"

Ophanimon caught onto what Cherubimon was planning though. "Unless you are thinking of..."

Cherubimon nodded. "Yes, I am. By using all of my power, and you two to amplify it, we might be able to get through."

* * *

**GF-007**

Agunimon grunted as his hand was being wrapped in bandages. The gash had been quite deep, but it wasn't deep enough to cause any real concern about potential nerve damage. He had a length of bandage around his head too, mostly because he had been hit pretty hard on the head as well. "Why do I always end up in these kinds of situations...?" He muttered to himself.

Kazemon gave her fellow Digimon and Warrior a look. "You didn't even think to use a long range attack or even one of your more powerful forms?"

Agunimon looked away, blushing as he did so. "You know thinking isn't my strong suit..."

The Warrior of Wind sighed. "You get into so much trouble..."

Agunimon winced as the bandages around his injured hand were secured by a medic. "You had best not use that hand for a while." The medic said seriously.

Kazemon frowned as Agunimon sighed. "I guess I don't have a choice..." The male Digimon admitted.

A slight bop on the head from Kazemon made Agunimon wince. "Ow!"

"You always rush in without a plan. Didn't _you_ tell me that foolish actions would cost us?" Kazemon snapped, making Agunimon flinch back a bit.

"Kazemon, calm down! I didn't..." The Warrior of Flame was cut off as Kazemon continued her mini rant.

"You are always so reckless!" Kazemon continued, only for Lowemon to put a hand on her shoulder.

"Kazemon..." Lowemon said sternly, yet calmly. "That's enough."

Kazemon looked away, anguish on her face. Agunimon saw that and looked away, guilt penetrating into his heart. He hadn't really thought about how his actions could affect Kazemon or Lowemon like that before. It made him feel even worse that he had just charged in like that without thinking.

The Warrior of Flame clenched his uninjured hand into a fist, mentally cursing his own hot-headedness. _'Why is it that I just charge in like that? I should have been more careful, but I wasn't!'_ Agunimon thought in dismay.

* * *

**Townsville**

Blossom frowned as she gazed at the window.

Tsuranuki glanced back at it as well, his eyes narrowing.

"I don't see anything," she said. "Maybe it was just a trick of the light."

But the young Driver knew otherwise. Something _had_ been there. But what it was remained a mystery. He felt the urge to explore coming over him, but his engineering side told him it was a bad idea. He nonetheless stepped closer to the old building, a frown crossing his lips.

Tsuranuki then turned back to face the two Powerpuffs. "Can you tell me about the history for this place?" he asked.

Bubbles and Blossom looked at one another, then shrugged. It couldn't hurt, right? He was just a normal kid.

Oh, they had no idea how wrong they were.

But that was for a later time. Tsuranuki needed answers, and he was intent on getting them.

"The Old Magic Theater was established back during the founding days of Townsville when it was created after World War II," Blossom began. "It was a place meant to allow people to enjoy the arts and forget about the destruction the war had caused. Hence the name."

Tsuranuki nodded as he filed this information away in his mind. Blossom then turned back to face the building, her pink eyes narrowing. "It was founded by a man named Charles James Magics, and it became one of Townsville's greatest sites for the performing arts. Many people came here from all over the world to experience the arts and operas that took place on the once grand stage," she continued. "However... twenty five years ago, a massive fire broke out during one such performance, and it ravaged the interior of the theater. The owner, the grandson of C.J. Magics, Roland Magics, disappeared during the blaze. And since then, the place has been abandoned."

"At least that's what's official," Bubbles added, making the boy look to her. "But there have been rumors swirling that Roland's body is buried inside the old stage area where beams collapsed on him."

"Have you verified that?" Tsuranuki asked. "I mean, given how you have X-ray vision and all, shouldn't you have been able to see that for yourselves?"

Bubbles shivered. "And risk seeing a decaying body? Gross!" she squeaked.

"Actually, we did a few days ago, but nothing was under there..." Blossom whispered, her voice becoming strangely quiet. "...and that's been really bothering me... no body was there. Nothing. Not even bones..."

The boy looked back to the old theater, and a shiver raced down his spine. Now he was getting a bad feeling about this place. "I dunno why, but I feel like we gotta get outta here," Tsuranuki muttered. "Now."

The old building seemed to become more imposing, hunching over the trio like a large monster, or a Kaiju even. The thought made him instinctively clench his right hand, trying to summon his Wheelset Drill to his grasp. But he only gripped air, his fingers digging into his palm. Bubbles huddled closer to Blossom who gripped her sister in a comforting embrace.

Tsuranuki began to back away from the old theater and Blossom let go of Bubbles. The red-haired heroine grabbed his arm and lifted off the ground, Bubbles flying beside her. "Why don't we go to the park?" Bubbles asked.

"No. I wanna go to the library," Tsuranuki said, surprising the two.

"Why there?" Blossom asked.

Tsuranuki frowned as he gazed back at the old theater's location, his eyes hard. "Just wanna do some research," he admitted. "Call it a hobby of mine. I'm interested in old buildings and their locations, so to speak," he said. He glanced back up at Blossom. "My mom and dad are civil engineers, so it runs in the family."

Blossom perked up. "Wait... I think I heard about someone opening up a new branch of their company here. And it was a construction company."

Tsuranuki gave her a grin. "My folks run a construction company," he stated. "The name is Daimonyama Construction."

Bubbles actually faltered in midair. "Wait! You're the son of the president?!" she shrieked.

The Driver laughed. "You betcha!" he remarked. Then he became serious. "But don't go spilling that."

"I take it you just want to have a normal stay?" Blossom inquired as she directed her flight towards the library.

The boy nodded.

"All right. We'll keep it quiet," she promised. Tsuranuki grinned before looking at the library coming up. His grin faded and he took on a serious expression.

'_Maybe now I can learn just what happened that day of the blaze..._' he thought.

Of course, though, his little research couldn't take too long. He shot a glance at his phone as he pulled it out from his pocket, keeping a firm grip on it. The time flashed on the screen: _15:25_. He had to be back at the Utonium house by 1700 hours to get ready for his first day at Pokey Oaks School.

The two girls landed outside the library and Tsuranuki led them inside.

The library was an impressive place, standing at four stories tall with shelves scattered in all directions. The first floor contained mostly archives and reference material while the second floor possessed a vast array of fiction literature, ranging from the classics all the way to modern books. The third floor was comprised mostly of graphic novels, and a vast collection of manga, which made sense given how Japan had claims on the island. The fourth floor was all technology, fitted with a number of computers and servers. It was here that people delved into the SkyWeb for information, scanned articles or even picked through the library's vast databases for obscure information.

Tsuranuki though was looking for information pertaining to the origins and demise of the once great theater.

And the best place to start was in the archives.

One of the librarians looked up. "Oh! Blossom! It's good to see you again!" the woman remarked with a grin.

"Good to see you too, Mrs. Higgins!" the redhead chirped.

"And hello, Bubbles," Mrs. Higgins cooed as she patted Bubbles' head. Bubbles giggled at the attention. Then her gaze landed on Tsuranuki. "And who's this young man? Already got a crush?" the librarian grinned with a wink at Blossom.

The redhead turned a beet red as Tsuranuki coughed, trying to hide his own embarrassment. "It's not like that," Blossom quickly interjected. "He's an exchange student staying with us and he's curious about the Old Magic Theater."

"Oh? An exchange student? Well, good for you," the woman said. "And what's your name, young man?"

"Oh! I'm Tsuranuki Daimonyama!" the boy chirped, holding out a hand. Mrs. Higgins smiled as she grasped it.

"It's a pleasure," she said. "So, you're interested in the Old Magic Theater, are you? Mind telling me why?"

"Just curiosity," Tsuranuki stated. "My family is in engineering for a living so I wanted to know more about the old place before it was torn down."

Here Mrs. Higgins sighed. "Yes. It is a shame. My father used to take me there all the time before it closed down."

Tsuranuki felt a pang of guilt and sympathy in his chest at this. He knew how it was for some old buildings being torn down for progress. In some cases though, they had been saved and restored, like some of the older temples and shrines. Yet still others fell into disrepair and were reclaimed by nature. It was inevitable, but if some could be saved, then history wouldn't be lost.

He nodded though. "Yeah. Such a historic place doesn't deserve to be torn down," he said.

Mrs. Higgins nodded in agreement. "Yes. It is a shame..." Then she smiled sadly. "But what can you do?"

The big woman clapped a massive hand on Tsuranuki's shoulder, making the boy stagger forward, coughing a bit from the hit. '_Man! She hits like Mom!_' he thought as he straightened up and rubbed his sore shoulder.

"All right. Just follow me," the librarian said, gesturing for the young _Shinkalion_ to follow.

Tsuranuki did so, keeping an eye on the time.

'_Let's hope I can find what I'm looking for,_' he thought.

* * *

**GrimmFall**

As soon as Zero finished telling his story, Captain and Rele were in shock. Finally, Rele spoke up. "That's... disturbing..."

Zero nodded gravely. "Indeed it is, my comrades."

Guneagle stood against the wall of the cabin, looking at the team. "But what's even worse is we can't access _it's_ power."

Rele gaped. "Wait... What?!"

Shute nodded. "Yeah. We can't sense _it_, which is hard to do under normal circumstances, but here, it's downright impossible."

Baku clenched a fist in anger. "And what's worse is that we have _no_ idea what the source of the evil that I am sensing here is."

Captain looked down in thought. "My sensors are not detecting unknown lifeforms in the area, but I still get the feeling something is here, watching us."

The rest of the Gundam Force looked around, but they couldn't see anything out of the ordinary.

Captain decided it was best to ignore the feeling for now, but even when he did, it was still there...

* * *

**Townsville**

The next day was school.

Sure Tsuranuki had been briefed on which classes he was in with the girls, but he still wasn't expecting the school to be so busy.

His eyes darted left and right as he walked into the building, wearing the same uniform as everyone else, but with some golden lines on its sleeves. He shot a quick glance at his phone, checking the time and news back in Tokyo. He was too engrossed he didn't even notice someone in his way.

A grunt escaped him as he smacked hard into someone else and he collapsed onto his butt, his phone landing in his lap.

Tsuranuki groaned as he rubbed his head, only for a voice to snap at him.

"Oh, great! The new commoner!"

The voice was snotty, and he could tell right off the bat that this person was female. He lifted his gaze and his eyes landed on a girl about his age, with dark reddish-orange hair and black eyes. Three freckles adorned her face under each eye, and she wore a yellow sweater with a shirt underneath, a pair of white tights, a purple skirt, and matching violet shoes. Her eyes were narrowed as she gazed down at him with an air of contempt.

"Hey! I resent that!" Tsuranuki snapped as he got to his feet, grabbing his phone as he did so.

"Please. As if I have time to mess with someone as lowly as you!" the girl snorted, flicking him off with her finger and trotting off.

Tsuranuki scowled as he pocketed his phone and proceeded to his class for the day.

Thankfully he was in the same room as the Powerpuff Girls, so he had some familiar faces to relate to.

The room was kind of spacious, but not too big, he noted as he took his seat further back. He glanced out the window, although his keen eye did pick up on the red Hotline phone on the teacher's desk. Maybe to let them know about a monster attack or something? He ignored it and pulled out his books, setting them down on the desk and taking out a notebook and pencil.

The other students filed into the room, and Blossom and Bubbles floated in, landing near their desks and taking their respective seats. Tsuranuki waved and they returned it before they pulled out their homework.

As soon as the last student had filed in, the teacher, a woman in her early thirties at best, entered. She had short black hair and bright blue eyes, eerily reminding him of Dani Phantom in some ways, if what he heard about her from Shinobu and Miku was true. She wore a red sleeveless vest over an orange T-shirt, with darker colored pants and orange dress shoes on her feet.

"Well, good morning, class!" she said.

"Good morning, Ms. Keane!" the class chirped back in reply.

"I hope you all had a pleasant weekend," the teacher stated.

"We sure did!" Bubbles chirped happily.

"Excellent. Now, I'm sure you all have heard the rumors, but starting this week, and continuing for the foreseeable future, we'll be having an exchange student from Tokyo with us for a while. His mother is in Townsville on some business, so he's staying with none other than our very own Powerpuff Girls." Ms. Keane grinned as she looked at him. "Why don't you come up and introduce yourself?"

The young _Shinkalion_ got up and walked to the front of the room. He had to actually swallow a lump in his throat because this was his first time introducing himself to a new class. Oh sure he had been with his family on business trips before, but never for this long.

Tsuranuki turned to face the kids and bowed. "Hi. I'm Tsuranuki Daimonyama. It's a pleasure to meet you," he said.

"Why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself?" Ms. Keane asked.

Here the boy tensed, but subtly. He clenched his clasped hands and wracked his brains before an idea came to him. "Well, I'm interested in topography and engineering," he said. "My mom is in the civil engineering business, so it runs in the family." Here he grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck.

The kids started to murmur, and Tsuranuki felt his stomach clench. "Okay, students. Why don't we each take a turn to tell our new student a bit about ourselves?" Ms. Keane suggested.

Slowly, one by one, they started to introduce themselves. The exercise didn't last long, and soon Tsuranuki was back in his seat as he prepared for the day's lesson.

Of course, things were about to get interesting later on in the school day.

* * *

**Battle site  
**

Omnimon looked around, taking in the damage. He didn't like what he was seeing, and these Red Caps had certainly put up a fight.

Being as strong a fighter as he was, the Royal Knight had been sure they could win against the Red Caps, but that had been a bit harder than expected.

He sighed, wondering when he would find Galimon again. Finding and saving his fellow Royal Knight would be best, but if he didn't find him now, he would have to continue his search.

* * *

Looking around, Lowemon sighed. He was beside Kazemon and Agunimon, the latter of whom had fallen asleep with Kazemon next to him. Kazemon had her hand holding Agunimon's uninjured one, and she was frowning herself.

Finally, Kazemon sighed. "He's always so reckless..." She murmured with a frown as she looked at the sleeping Agunimon.

Lowemon frowned a bit at her words. "Yes, he may be, but is it really his fault?" The Warrior of Darkness asked. "It's a big part of who he is."

Kazemon looked away. "That's true..."

Lowemon sighed as he sat down beside the Warrior of Wind. "You can't force him to change a big part of who he is overnight, or at all for that matter."

Kazemon sighed as well. "I know... I just... I just wish he would at least consider how it makes me feel, the way he just rushes in like that..."

Lowemon looked back at his sleeping leader. "You're not the only one..."

He reached out and gently put a hand on Kazemon's own, the one holding Agunimon's hand.

* * *

**Townsville**

"Wait. That girl I ran into was Princess Morbucks?!" Tsuranuki was shocked. During lunch, he decided to ask the Powerpuff Girls about one of the students here. They had explained to him about Princess Morbucks, who he learned, was heiress to the vast financial resources of Morbucks Savings and Loans, one of the wealthiest, if not _the_ wealthiest, financial companies in the world.

Bubbles nodded, her face uncharacteristically serious.

Blossom was grim as she folded her arms. "Princess is a kid you want to stay away from," she lectured. "She's spoiled, manipulative, and prone to using her money to bribe others to get her way." Her pink eyes narrowed. "And she'll no doubt try to do the same to you."

"As if!" Tsuranuki shot back. His brown eyes hardened. "I'm not exactly lower class, am I?"

It was true that Daimonyama Construction was a small business by most standards, but that small size made them easier to manage on a large scale. And despite recent growth from the Kaiju attacks, they remained smaller compared to competitors, like the larger construction firms that handled fixing the docks and harbors after the attacks.

Despite this shortcoming though, they generated a surprising amount of wealth, enough to get the Daimonyama family into the lower upper class. It paid off to also have the company headquarters function as their living space, he mused as he looked over at the wealthy heiress.

Bubbles and Blossom looked to one another in confusion; Tsuranuki was not going to spill anything about his family's wealth. He didn't like to be associated with people who were snobbish and downright manipulative like Princess.

"Sorry," Bubbles muttered. "But we're just looking out for our guest."

The Driver waved a hand. "Forget it. I understand your concern and worry, but I can handle myself," he stated.

The two girls nodded. "Right." Blossom smiled. "I forgot."

The threesome laughed. Tsuranuki finally took a bite of his sandwich and glanced back to Princess. His eyes narrowed as he studied her. She did seem like she was the usual rich snob he had heard about from his father before his death three - almost four - years ago. Sitting by her lonesome, eating the finest of foods, wearing expensive clothing; it all matched.

He huffed and brushed it aside. "So, what else can you tell me about this place?" he asked.

"Oh, you mean what kind of villains there are?" Bubbles asked.

The boy nodded.

"There's Fuzzy Lumpkins. Don't let the name fool you," Blossom said, spotting the way Tsuranuki's lips had twitched. "He's got a real temper, and he shoots at anything that comes near his property. He does sometimes come into the city though, thinking that we're attacking his property."

"Geez. Sounds like that guy's got a real chip on his shoulder," Tsuranuki remarked, folding his arms across his chest.

"Tell me about it," the red-haired heroine said, shaking her head. "But despite that, he's harmless most of the time as long as we don't provoke him."

"The real dangerous ones are those that can plan and think," Bubbles stated. "Like Mojo. Or Elmer."

"Elmer?" Tsuranuki cocked an eyebrow.

Here the two girls looked down, shame crossing their faces. "Elmer Sglue," Blossom whispered. "He was once a normal boy, but now... now he's a monster..."

"What?" Tsuranuki uncrossed his arms and leaned in. "What happened to him?" he asked, horror filling his voice.

"An accident with glue and toxic green Dust..." Bubbles shuddered at the memory. "It turned him into a literal glue monster...!"

Tsuranuki felt like he was going to be sick. But at the same time, his engineering mind kicked into overdrive and he realized that as Esebu he would be outmatched by this Elmer kid. His drill, while powerful, was prone to getting jammed by soft substances like glue because it would coat the mechanisms and make it useless as a weapon.

"My Glob..." he whispered.

"Yeah. So, he's in holding right now," Bubbles explained. "We defeated him some time ago, but..." Here the two girls looked away, and Tsuranuki got the feeling like they were hiding something. In truth, he was as well, which wasn't that far off. But he also knew better than to pry. If they told him, it would have to be on their own terms.

"Well, glad to hear that," the young _Shinkalion_ said as he forced a smile onto his face.

The two girls nodded, smiling as well. "Anyway, there's also the occasional Kaiju that strikes, but we've handled them fairly well."

"But it sometimes helps to have allies," the boy pointed out, surprising the two heroines. He took a bite of his sandwich. "Like that... _Shinkalion_ Esebu, right?"

Blossom nodded. "Yeah. Come to think of it, we haven't seen or heard from him since that fight with Mojo."

"Hey. He's probably laying low," Tsuranuki said, trying to make it seem like he didn't know much about his alter ego. "Who knows how that alien thinks?"

The girls nodded. "True on that!" Bubbles chirped.

However, that was when things started to change...

The redhead perked up, her enhanced hearing picking up the sound of the Hotline. "Oh! Hang on!" She darted off in a flash of pink light, leaving Bubbles alone with the Driver.

A few minutes later, Blossom came back and nudged Bubbles. "C'mon! We got trouble!"

"What kind?" Bubbles asked as they began to leave.

What they said sent shivers down his back. "It's Mojo again. And this time, he claims to have a new weapon..."

Tsuranuki gritted his teeth as he scrambled to his feet. "Excuse me, but I gotta go! I gotta make a call to the Professor to let him know where I am!"

The two girls nodded as they flew off, exiting through one of the opened windows.

Tsuranuki, meanwhile, ducked down another hallway and into an empty classroom. He glanced around before he sat back in the teacher's chair, focusing on the LinkNode in his back.

He closed his eyes and reached out, grasping the tendril as it formed in his figurative grasp. He gave a mental tug, and then his soul was free, flying down the Tunnel of Oblivion to his destination.

* * *

Tsuranuki felt like he had been wrapped up in a sushi roll, with him as the center, the first sign he was no longer in his human body. He could feel systems coming online, which was the second sign he was not human anymore. And he could feel the rails of the train line beneath his frame, the third and final sign he was now linked with his machine.

No longer was he Tsuranuki. No, he was now Esebu, one of the 'alien' robots that defended Japan. Esebu knew what he had to do. He expanded his sensors, trying to pick up Mojo Jojo with his radar. Then, he felt it. He felt that telltale ping as the radio waves bounced off something large and moving.

It was not hard to miss, after all.

As soon as he had picked up the large shape on his radar, Esebu transformed into his robot form and looked around for the source of the radar signal he had picked up. His greenish-yellow optics flared once as he saw it in the distance. It was the Jojo Buster again, but something seemed... different this time.

Whatever it was, he had to be careful, lest he fall into a trap, and that Esebu didn't want.

* * *

**Esebu is about to clash with Mojo Jojo and his Jojo Buster again while the Legendary Warriors talk in the aftermath of the battle. Meanwhile, the Gundam Force tries to figure out how to get their ace-in-the-hole back. ****What happens next? Read on to find out~! :3 Don't forget to read and review! ^^**


	17. Tale of Two Heights VI

**Here is another chapter~! :3**

**GCD: Thanks! :D**

**merendinoemiliano: Sorry it was a bit rushed. Had some trouble with the last chapter. ^^'**

**nightmaster000: Trust me, the Warriors still have their D-Tectors. The devices are more for communication now, but they will play a role still. Where do you think the Spirits are held still? XD**

**Lord Maximus: Thank you for the scene. :3**

**Titanic X: Glad you like it. :)**

**Note: If any readers have an account, then please review using your account please. If you are too lazy to log in, then at least leave your account name so I can know who you are. If any reader does not have an account, then **_PLEASE_** use a **consistent - i.e. THE SAME** name when reviewing, **_not_** the usual 'Guest', so I can respond in a more personal manner, as the name 'Guest' does not seem too personable to me.**

_***"Cybertronian"***_

* * *

_***Files Accessed***_

_**File 10: Lucha Academy**_

_The home of the Luchador students, this school teaches aspiring kids to become wrestlers who are also Hunters. The academy is located in Mexico, close to the Temple of the Foodian Order. It is also home to the Gem of Ability, which is one of the twelve Spiral Gems._

* * *

**GrimmFall**

"Admiral, there is something you should see."

Heero walked up to the main screen. "What is it?"

Looking at the screen, Heero was greeted with the surprising sight of Phil Ken Sebben, wearing a simple tank top and black shorts that showed off his muscular figure. He wore running shoes and appeared to be with a group of people jogging through the park.

Only Sebben stopped and looked seemingly in the direction of the ship.

The way he was looking at the camera made it almost feel like he was looking directly at Heero and the bridge crew. It was so surprising that Heero almost didn't notice the basket in Sebben's hands as he put it on the ground for the crew to see. In the basket was an assortment of cookies, sweets and a bottle of wine with a card on it.

The camera zoomed in to see what was on the card: WELCOME TO GRIMMFALL. ENJOY YOUR STAY AND THE ROSES IN THE PARK. JUST WATCH THE THORNS.

"It's a message." Heero narrowed his eyes. "And a warning. He's not going to cause trouble for us... as long as we don't cause trouble for him."

Captain Ramius frowned. "So it would appear Leonardo and Cree were right. He knows we're here."

Heero frowned, but waited until the mayor left before he gave out an order. "Someone go and retrieve that basket. Flight suits are to be worn when doing so."

While someone went to do just that, Admiral Yuy looked out again. _'So, our arrival was not unnoticed by Sebben. Good. If he knows, then we can reveal ourselves at the right moment, whenever that moment is.'_

In about 10 minutes, the person who had retrieved the basket of goodies, Rear Admiral Joule, returned, flight suit on and helmet off. The rear admiral set the basket down, and reached up, removing the 'Snoopy Cap' from his head.

"Things look clear, but we can't be too sure." Yzak noted as Leonardo just chuckled.

"You guys are too paranoid." The ninja teased.

"Says the ninja." Yzak shot back, but a grin was on his face regardless.

Heero walked up to the basket and examined it, but it looked normal. Cree scoffed before she snagged one of the cookies and bit into it. "None of it is poisoned, if that is what you are wary about." She said as Heero gave her a glare, but she just smirked back at him.

Shaking his head, Heero reached out and took a sweet before he bit into it. Everyone was tense for a moment, but nothing happened. Heero felt fine as far as he could tell. "Well?" Athrun asked as Heero looked back at his sub-commander.

"Things are clear." Heero replied before he ate the rest of the sweet.

Leonardo just sighed as he shook his head while Cree laughed at his reaction.

* * *

**Townsville**

Brass looked on nervously at the primate that was running around, studying Rokusho's body and weapons. It wasn't what they had intended, but then again, getting captured was never planned to begin with. Erika, beside Brass, was shaking as they watched the primate working.

Despite her fears, Brass found herself hoping that Metabee would come barging in like he usually tended to do. Except... she couldn't pick up his signature anywhere on her radar. Brass found herself groaning mentally.

_'Where is that brash Medabot when you need him?!'_ Brass thought in dismay.

* * *

**GrimmFall**

Heero was looking over the recent reports of events going on, obtained legally of course. The newspapers were a good way to get news, even if it was not as thorough as their usual methods of obtaining information. "Hmm... It seems this new skirmish was a bit difficult to handle for the local heroes."

"When is anything ever easy here?" Yzak grumbled. Heero was currently with the rest of his unit, and the two newest returns, Chris Dante and Shinn Asuka, had come back from Denver with no new information on the infamous Dragon said to lurk there.

Shinn groaned. "And our mission was a bust!"

"Yeah, we couldn't even find the Dragon of Denver said to have taken up residence in the city." Chris added, grumbling as he did so.

Heero sighed. "I see."

Nicol and Derek, having returned from the _Steelhaven_, also had bad news to report, and Heero had not been happy to hear the device responsible for dimensional breaches had not yet been destroyed.

Nicol sighed. "At least we found the _Steelhaven_..."

"And noted the location." Derek added. "This way we can head back at any time to destroy that device."

However, before any of them could get any further, the alarms on the ship sounded, making the unit look at the main monitors. Heero's eyes widened as he saw the massive tidal wave coming at the city. "Oh... slag..."

Heero and Zero Squadron watched as the tidal wave came towards the city, but luckily, Major Glory, the main hero of the city, flew in and stopped the wave with what looked to be ice breath of some kind. However, the wave, while stopped, was still very large, and loomed over the city in a way that made Heero and his unit uncomfortable.

"Um... What do we do, Yuy?" Yzak asked uncertainly.

Heero frowned. "That wave is stopped for now, but looking at its position, it appears to be looming over the city. If hit in just the right way, it will come crashing down on the areas closest to the shore, and those are major areas of living or gathering places."

Tao looked back at Heero. "So we evacuate the areas in danger?"

Mackenzie frowned as well. "Even if we did, people may not want to leave." The former president noted.

Heero was running through a plan, but it was risky. "We have several options. One, we evacuate the populace around that area. Two, we find a way to destroy that frozen wave with only limit explosives. Or, three, we vaporize that frozen wave in one blast."

Everyone there looked at Heero with worry, save for Cree, who just looked at him in confusion. "How could you possibly hope to destroy a frozen wave of that size?"

Leonardo caught on and looked at the admiral. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

Heero sighed. "No, I don't. But we have only a few options. We can't exactly fire our ship's weapons at it, lest we cause ice chunks to fly everywhere. We need to vaporize the frozen wave, and we have only one method of which to do that."

"But it could give you guys away!" Leonardo pointed out in his exclamation.

"Yes, but we do it on _our_ terms. This is a chance we can't blow." Heero pointed out.

Cree blinked. "You mean, you are going to out yourselves now?"

"What better time than the present, right?" Heero said before he looked at Captain Ramius. "Can you get the ship airborne? I will be headed out."

Captain Ramius blinked but nodded. "Yes, I can."

Heero nodded. "Good. We lift off in ten. Once we get airborne, hover up to 1000 feet. I will launch from there."

* * *

_"Wing Zero SX, proceed to launch pad."_ The voice of Mirillia Haww said as Heero boarded his machine, wearing his white flight suit, including helmet. He slipped inside, shutting the cockpit as soon as he was seated. He buckled in as the door shut completely with a _hiss_ of air. Once buckled in, Heero powered up WinG Zero. The optics flared green, as did the orb on the chest. Heero then grabbed the controls and pushed down in the pedals on the floor. Wing Zero took its first step before taking another step and yet another step. The Gundam-type machine made its way to the catapult, stepping on as soon as it reached the launch bay.

_"Hanger door opening, standby for launch clearance."_ Just ahead of Wing Zero, the hanger bay doors opened, showing the outside where GrimmFall was.

Heero ran over the systems as the clamps latched onto Wing Zero's feet. "All systems are operating within optimal parameters. Reactor flow output is at maximum efficiency and power output. Weapons systems are online and operating within the designed safety parameters. All systems are operational at 100%."

_"Wing Zero SX, you're cleared to_ launch!" Mirillia's voice said over the com-system for the entire ship.

Heero looked up, Wing Zero's optics flaring as he did so. "Admiral Yuy, Wing Zero SX, _launching_!"

In a roar of fire, Wing Zero's engines ignited before the force of the catapult began to push the famed war machine down the catapult bay. The extra thrust given by the engines only pushed Wing Zero to higher speeds, so by the time Wing Zero reached the end of the hanger, the Gundam-type machine was moving at maximum speed.

Wing Zero sped out from the ship before turning into its fighter form and heading for the frozen wave.

* * *

A few Mobians and Faunus were warily looking up at the giant wave that was frozen. It loomed above them, looking like claws reaching down towards them. Even the humans in the area looked unnerved by the sight.

Many were pointing at it, wondering if it would come crashing down at any moment. It certainly looked that way.

One Faunus perked up as he heard engines, and looked up, only to see an odd fighter craft heading towards the frozen wave. He took out his cell-phone and began to record the scene unfolding before him.

* * *

Heero sped towards the frozen wave, scanning it with Wing Zero's sensors and systems. "One section is weaker than the rest. Time before breakage and collapse, 1 hour and ten minutes."

He flew Wing Zero towards the weak section. "Scan of section complete. Optimal firing position found." Heero said in an emotionless tone. "Commencing mission."

Having down the best spot to fire upon, Heero transformed his machine into its Mobile Suit mode. "Target, locked on."

Wing Zero grabbed its Buster Magnum before aiming at the frozen wave's weak section. Heero knew he was taking a great risk, but it was needed. _'Last night, _The Order_ was given. We can use it now without fear of repercussions.'_

The charge began to build as Heero switched the rifle over from its Magnum mode to the infamous mode that had earned him his nickname back in the First Bloody Valentine war, the Twin Buster Rifle mode.

"Charge complete." Heero noted in his emotionless tone. "Target's structural integrity optimal for vaporization with no collateral damage."

The lock-on alert chirped, giving Heero the final signal to proceed. "Wing Zero, Twin Buster Rifle charge, 100% power output confirmed."

With that, he fired.

The golden beam lanced out at full power from the barrel, looking _nothing_ like a thin beam of light. Instead, this _massive_ beam that seemed impossibly big for the rifle's barrel came lancing out and towards the frozen wave before hitting the weakened section and turning it right into water vapor instantly. Heero then separated the rifle into its two halves, advancing out towards the frozen wave as he did so. He spread Wing Zero's arms apart, the rifle's power still firing at the frozen wave sections. Each half of the frozen wave was quickly becoming water vapor due to the high temperature of the plasma beams.

Heero watched the frozen wave fading from view before he got the signal the wave's parts were gone. "Target elimination, 95% complete. Remaining 5% determined to be of no risk to inhabitants of the city." Heero said as he looked over the remnants of the wave. He cut off the firing of the Twin Buster Rifle, lowering Wing Zero's arms down to its sides.

Wing Zero hovered there in the sky, steam emitting from its engines and from all around it. The sunlight shone down on the famous war machine, giving it sort of an ethereal look due to the steam that was all around it.

"Mission, complete." Heero said before he turned Wing Zero around and flew back to where the _Constitution_ was hovering in the air, unseen thanks to its cloaking armor.

* * *

On the ship, Cree and Leonardo were staring at the sheer power that _one_ machine of this unit had unleashed. Cree was more shocked than Leo though, mainly because Leo knew a bit more about Wing Zero's capabilities.

"W-what...?" Was all Cree could say as Leonardo gaped.

"I... I heard the stories... but to see it for real..." Leo murmured. "No _wonder_ they wanted to stay hidden..."

Cree could only nod, her mind stunned into nothing but awe, respect, and _fear_...

* * *

Mayor Sebben had seen the large golden beam of energy once the wave had been stopped by Major Glory. He had expected the major to finish the job with the wave, but seeing this... this... _beam_ of energy coming out from what had to be one of the 'War Men' stunned him.

On his screen, Mayor Sebben could see the symbol on the machine's left shoulder guard. It was the same symbol he had seen from the Gem of Sight a few times. _'So... they finally reveal themselves here...'_ The mayor mused.

This would be interesting indeed.

* * *

Major Glory was floored. He had never expected this powerful 'War Man' to come and finish the job he had intended to finish himself. Not only that, but the sheer _power_ of that beam of energy was enough to make even _him_ think twice about challenging one of these 'War Men'. _'Not to mention the wave's frozen form was wiped it in a matter of minutes, or even seconds!'_ Major Glory thought with awe and a bit of fear as well.

He watched as the winged 'War Man' hovered there, the twin rifle halves lowered down towards its sides. The steam that resulted from the vaporization of the frozen wave gave the machine a sort of ethereal look about it; with its wings spread, it looked like a mechanical angel almost. Major Glory had not expected this to happen, but happen it did.

Major Glory used his X-Ray Vision to try and see through the armor of the 'War Man', only to see what looked like one of the 'Faceless Ones' inside. On the shoulder of the machine, and the 'Faceless One's' chest, was the same symbol he had seen on Alex's computer before. Focusing his eyes a bit more, Major Glory was able to see through the 'head' of the 'Faceless One', only to see the being _did_ have a face... a _human_ face to be exact.

The major was stunned. _'These 'Faceless Ones' are actually human?! I guess it does make a certain amount of sense, but... where did these guys come from? And what kind of technology do they possess that allows them to have such power at their command?'_ Of course, Major Glory decided to leave it for now, since this 'War Man' had done the city a big favor by wiping out the frozen wave.

* * *

Heero flew back to the _Constitution_, only to land inside the hanger, which closed up as soon as Wing Zero touched down. Heero moved Wing Zero to its dock before powering down his machine. The optics and orb on the chest went dark before the cockpit opened. The admiral grabbed the zip line and rode down to the hanger bay's floor, stepping off as the crew ran over to greet him.

"That _never_ fails to give me chills!" Yolant exclaimed as he shivered, but he had a grin on his face nonetheless.

"Are you kidding?! It makes _me_ giddy every time I see that kind of power!" Vino, another mechanic, added with a big goofy grin of his own.

"Now calm down, boys." Chief Murdoch chuckled. "You know that power is only used when it is necessary."

"Aw, c'mon, old man! It's rare we get to see the TBR used at full power like that!" Another mechanic snorted.

"Yes, but with such great power comes a very big and great responsibility. Such power is never used willy-nilly, now is it?" Chief Mechanic Lee spoke up from his spot fixing the Buster's right knee joint.

Chief Murdoch laughed as the other mechanic pouted at the slight scolding she had received from Chief Mechanic Stan Lee.

Yolant and Vino snickered as well. The rest of Zero Squadron then came in, making Heero and the assembled hanger crew look back.

Yzak snorted as he folded his arms over his chest. "Leave it to you to make a big entrance like that."

Heero grunted once in response. "Hn."

Shinn gave Yzak a look. "Hey, can't you at least _admit_ it was necessary to use the TBR at full power?"

"I can." Yzak countered. "It's just that Yuy here did it to out us before this Sammael could do that for us."

Heero grunted again before speaking. "It was that or we don't out ourselves on our terms at all."

Tao then spoke up. "Well, if you think about it, it could work out to our advantage now. I mean, we _did_ technically save a city from the collateral damage if parts of that wave ever fell on the city while it was frozen."

Athrun smirked. "Yeah, and we also gave a show of power to indicate we are not to be messed with."

Everyone assembled had to agree.

Cree came over, looking at Heero and the rest of the unit in what had to be equal parts awe, respect, and fear. She swallowed nervously before speaking. "That... is that the kind of power you have at your command?"

"On a daily basis? Yes." Heero replied. "And it's not just me." He then gestured to the other machines in the hanger. "Each of these machines is just as deadly, but without the sheer firepower my machine possesses."

Looking around, Cree eyed the Dynames, the sniping Gundam. To imagine such a machine was just as deadly made her respect these guys even more. _'To have such power at their disposal and not use it to oppress others... I can't help but wonder if these guys are saints or if they just have immense self-control...'_

Leonardo looked back at Cree. "Is something on your mind?"

Cree looked back at Leo before glancing at the rest of the unit around her. "Either you guys are some kind of saints or you have immense self-control to not use this power of yours to oppress others."

Shinn scoffed at the comment. "Us? Saints? Hardly."

Cree blinked. "Huh? But you have all of this power at your disposal! How can you not be saints to have it?!"

Mackenzie looked back at Cree. "Cree... when Shinn says we aren't saints... many of us have taken lives. We did despicable things in war. The reason we don't use this power of ours to force others to do what we want is _because_ of what we did in war. We have _seen_ what others with such power will do with it. We are _afraid_ of our own power. But we don't hold back with it _because_ of the fact we are afraid of using it in the wrong manner. If we don't show we _mean_ business, as in we don't tolerate anything that is against the UEN's Convention on Warfare, we won't be taken seriously, and if we aren't taken seriously, then we would begin to use our power in the wrong manner to show we mean _business_, as in we will make them regret not taking us seriously by using our power to _make_ them follow the Convention on Warfare, which is in of itself a form of oppression."

Cree blinked, taking in this information.

Leonardo also blinked. He had known they were strong, but to hear the unit was _afraid_ of their own power and yet used it to show they were serious when it came to taking on those who threatened the peace of their home dimension was something new for him.

* * *

Heero was soon resting in his room, just as Mackenzie sat on the bridge. Cree was with her, looking out at the park. "You said you guys are afraid of your power."

Mackenzie nodded. "Yeah, I did." She replied as she looked back at Cree. "Why?"

"If you are so afraid of it, why not just disarm and leave it at that?" The fox Faunus asked.

Mackenzie's eyes took on a hard glare. "Cree, do you know of Satyra?"

Cree scoffed. "Who could not?"

"Well, imagine that, but with the idea of genetically enhancing the human body. Several of us in this unit are genetically enhanced. There were those who believed that because of this, the genetically enhanced were not human and went to the lengths of Satyra, if not worse. And for the genetically enhanced, well, some came to believe they were the next breed of human who had evolved and that the unenhanced humans were nothing but vermin to wipe out. Oddly enough, it was the _Naturals_ who went to the lengths of Satyra to wipe out the Coordinators, _not_ the other way around." Mackenzie explained. "Of course, if one counts the attempts to wipe out all life on Earth made by the Coordinators, _then_ it is the Coordinators who were worse than Satyra, but just a few bad Coordinators doesn't meant the majority are that way as well. As you can see, because of these events, we take racism _very_ seriously. Such people _cannot_ be negotiated with, so that leaves only two options; either take them out with force, or surrender to their demands."

"So, you're saying that those responsible will only respond to force to stop them?" Cree asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes." Mackenzie replied seriously. "That is the best way to get them to back off, or rather, we have no choice but to stop them."

Cree blinked in surprise. "So you don't hold back, to show you will not tolerate what those people are doing."

"Exactly." Mackenzie replied. "And if we bring all our power to bear on the people who threaten the entirety of the human race, then they know the UEN, our planetary government, means business and can back up any claim of putting down the violence."

The fox Faunus could only listen in silence. It seemed these guys were willing to do whatever it took, even if they didn't like it, to keep others safe.

* * *

**Nowhere Mountains**

Ikki and Metabee stuck close to Rex and Six, hoping to be of some use to the two other worlders.

Six and Rex seemed to know what was going down right now with this Van Kleiss guy and Metabee wanted a bit of payback on the man for trying to hurt a young girl. Not to mention his dimensional displacement device that had brought the two of them, and their missing friends, there as well.

"So, what do we do when we get there?" Metabee asked Six.

"We find Van Kleiss and shut down his device." The agent replied.

Metabee nodded. "Well, if we get there, if you need some extra firepower, I'm your bot!"

Ikki groaned. "Yeah, but only if you listen to me..."

Metabee just grumbled under his breath. "Way to ruin the mood, Ikki..."

"Not to mention our... special bond..." Ikki added, making Metabee wince slightly.

"Ah... right..." Metabee muttered.

* * *

**GrimmFall**

In his room, Heero was looking over some images he had seen of the battle between Major Glory and the one who had launched that wave at the city. His blue eyes narrowed as he observed what went down.

Leaning back at his desk, the Admiral had to wonder what was going on.

_'So, the person behind that wave was intending on wiping out the city, but only so he could get away.'_ The Enhanced human mused. This would throw a wrench into their plans, unless...

Looking at where the Hall of Heroes was, Heero felt a plan coming into place. "Maybe... it's time we took ourselves from surveillance to active roles..."

He knew what he had planned was a big risk, but if played right, things could work out for them all.

* * *

The rest of Zero Squadron was gathered in the pilot's lounge, watching the local news, picked up thanks to the satellite hacking they had set up upon first arrival.

Yzak was frowning as he watched the news, which showed Heero's machine. "Well, it's happened. We've just revealed ourselves to this city."

"Not fully, though." Shinn pointed out. "They only saw Wing Zero and our insignia, not our faces or anything like that."

Athrun frowned as well. "No... Major Glory was there. He saw Wing Zero and its power. And if what we learned about him is correct, he has X-ray vision, which probably allowed him to catch sight of Heero."

Everyone looked to Athrun in surprise. "Are you kidding me, Zala?!" Yzak demanded.

"No, I'm not." Athrun sighed. "But it's better that Major Glory saw us. If it was someone else, what would _they_ do? They would try to paint us as villains."

Tao pursed her lips in thought. "So you're saying it's for the best that we revealed ourselves to the major, because he can confirm we are not on the enemy's side."

Athrun nodded, but he was still frowning. "I am well aware the plan could backfire and we could be painted as enemies by Major Glory, but... We didn't get this far, nor as strong as we are as a unit, by being cautious and not taking risks."

Everyone there had to agree. The fact they were a unit that took risks when it was needed was how they had gotten so fearsome, in addition to their power.

Dearka grunted. "Well, if there was ever a time to take such a big risk, that time would be now."

Stella looked down. "It could go either way."

"And we have to have faith it will work out, or it will backfire." Kira added at last.

* * *

In the Hall of Heroes, Major Glory had returned and while everyone was glad he had stopped the wave, the fact one of those 'War Men' had shown up and finished off the frozen wave had stunned all of them.

Valhallen was looking at the image playing back on the main screen, and he let out a low whistle. "Wow... _That_ was some power..."

Krunk was in awe and even shaking a bit in fear. "Krunk no like War Men..."

"Well, that particular War Men _did_ do the city a favor by wiping out the frozen wave." Tiki Torch noted with some apprehension and thoughtfulness. "So maybe the War Men are not exactly bad news."

Major Glory nodded. "Yes, that is true. And that fact is why we will leave the War Men alone for the time being. It did not seem to have hostile intentions, and it _did_ save our fair city from the frozen wave before damage could occur."

Major Glory then looked back at where the winged 'War Men' had flown off to. _'If that 'War Men' flew off, then a ship has to be nearby. Well, either that or a base.'_

Deciding to forget the War Men for now, the major turned his attention to the TV news to see what else would be on.

* * *

In his office, Mayor Sebben was observing the footage on the TV himself. _'So, they finally show their power...'_ The mayor thought as he leaned back in his chair. A smirk played at his lips. _'This should prove interesting for future battles.'_

Callie looked appalled however, at seeing the power of that _one_ machine. "Is... Is _that_ the power of the War Men and the Faceless Ones?!" She squeaked out.

"It would appear so." Mayor Sebben noted, taking care to observe his deputy mayor's reaction.

"B-but that... _How_ can they possess such power? And can we even trust these Faceless Ones won't use that very power against us?!" Callie began to panic a bit.

Mayor Sebben leaned forward at his desk. "Tell me, have these Faceless Ones attempted any sort of invasion against us? Or have they only been observing us?"

"Observing us, but that could be a prelude to the invasion." Callie countered.

"And yet that War Men only attacked the frozen wave before leaving the area. That power _could_ have been used against us yes, but if that was the case, why leave once the wave's remains were gone?" Mayor Sebben asked.

Callie looked down in thought. "It _could_ have been a show of power to scare us. But it also could have been doing us a favor."

Mayor Sebben nodded. "I have no doubt it was an attempt to help us. But it was _also_ a warning _and_ a show of power. It was a warning to Sammael and Satyra, while also being a show of power to those who would dare to threaten this city."

Deputy Mayor Briggs looked up, surprised. "Why would they give a warning to Sammael and Satyra? Wouldn't they just do a show of power?"

"I can only assume the warning _was_ the show of power, to scare the enemies of our city, and of all humanity." Mayor Sebben mused with a smirk.

Callie looked out at the city again, where the frozen wave had once been. "That reminds me of the saying 'the best defense is a good offense'."

"And you would be right." Mayor Sebben chuckled. "They are a formidable unit, relying on offensive firepower and tactics to catch the enemy off-guard so they can finish them off. But that's not to say their defensive tactics should be laughed at. They seem to be an adaptive fighting unit, but with an emphasis on firepower and tactics that rely on it." He then leaned back in his seat again. "But we have yet to see how they can fight when on the defensive. So it may be interesting to see how the Faceless Ones fare in that situation."

Callie could only nod in agreement.

* * *

On the _Constitution_, the crew went about their daily duties, including reloading weapons and checking up on the Gundams in the hanger to see if they were functioning at 100%. Cagalli was working on the Justice's right arm joint, trying to get it to stop sticking, but with little success. "RAH!" She threw her wrench to the platform she was on in anger. "Why won't the damn thing unstick?!"

Yolant walked over and looked at the arm joint. "Have you checked all hydraulics and servo motors?"

"Yes, and everything is working, which doesn't explain why the joint is sticking!" Cagalli snapped back.

Yolant leaned in and frowned. "Huh..." He then looked to Cagalli. "Can you try to move the arm?"

Cagalli frowned, but nodded and got into the cockpit, which had been open so she could move the arm joint before trying to repair it again and again.

As soon as she was inside, Cagalli moved the arm joint, and Yolant frowned as he saw it was indeed sticking a bit for a few seconds before moving the way it should. "Okay, keep moving it. I will see if I can find the problem."

Cagalli nodded and resumed moving the arm joint before Yolant saw something. "Wait!"

At his words, Cagalli poked her head out. "What?"

"Move it again." Yolant instructed. "I think I saw something."

Cagalli moved the arm joint again, only for Yolant to see what was going on. "That's it!" He exclaimed. "I know what the problem is!" He then looked to Cagalli. "Straighten out the arm!"

The ORB queen did so, allowing Yolant to climb out onto the limb and peer into the elbow joint more closely. "Aha! Here's the problem!" He exclaimed. "It's a piece of duct tape that somehow got wound around a servo motor!"

Cagalli gaped. "H-how did that happen?!"

Yolant sighted. "It was most likely Vino. He probably did this as a prank."

Cagalli groaned as she heard that. "Ugh... That punk... Doesn't he know that in battle any few seconds could be the only thing between life and death?!"

Yolant sighed again. "Don't blame him completely, but I have to agree."

"Heero will be giving that kid a _reaming_ for sure..." Cagalli sighed, not exactly feeling much sympathy towards Vino for his prank.

* * *

_"What?!"_ Heero exclaimed. "Vino used Duct Tape to cause one of the Justice's arm joints to move slower as a prank?!"

_"Yeah. Yolant got it removed, but I am having Vino sent to your_ office." Cagalli replied. _"You know how he can get. He likes to prank, but this could have ended badly had we had to send out the Justice at all."_

Heero nodded. "I will give him a stern talking to. I know he meant no harm, but anything could go wrong, and we can't take any chances."

As soon as the line went dead, the door to his office opened. Heero looked back, only to see it was the prankster himself, Vino.

"Glad you could come, Mechanic second class Vino." Heero said as Vino entered and sat down before the admiral. "You know why you are here, don't you?"

"I do, sir." Vino sighed. "I played a prank and got caught by Queen Zala-Attha for it."

"Well, yes, but you are here mostly because of one thing, and that is because you are aware anything can happen in battle, and that a difference of a few seconds could mean life or death for the pilot of the machine sent out, correct?" Heero asked.

Vino nodded. "Yes, sir. I know that all too well."

"So then, tell me, _why_ did you think it was a good idea to cover one of the servo motors of the Justice's right arm in Duct Tape as a prank?" Heero asked. "What if we had sent out the Justice and there was a battle going on? What if Athrun had been unable to pull his right beam saber in time, all because of those few seconds of movement lost?"

"It wasn't like I meant to leave it like that!" Vino protested.

"I know." Heero assured the mechanic. "But the fact remains you still pulled a prank that could have ended up taking the life of one of the sub-commanders had he been sent out into battle. For that, you will be given brig time of a week, _and_ you will have to go through remedial training on what each servo motor does, as well observing battle video, and undergoing simulation training involving the exact scenario we prevented, to make sure you understand how a few seconds of slowness could cost a pilot their life."

Vino, to his credit, gave a cringe at the prospect of the training simulations. "Yes, sir..."

"You will be escorted to the brig by Rear Admiral Joule. After your sentence there is completed, the training will commence. This will last for a month." Heero said as Yzak came into the room, looking pissed off.

"I see it's the prankster again." Yzak noted with a grunt.

"Yes, and it is because of a Duct-Taped servo motor this time." Heero sighed. "The fact he did such a prank is worrisome, but given how most of his other pranks are harmless, I think we can let this one slide in terms of potential for discharge from Zero Squadron. However, he _will_ be watched until we can get back to our home dimension. Vino will then be transferred to hanger duty on New Juneau where he will be working on Mobile Suits there."

Yzak nodded as Vino groaned at the punishment.

"Be glad you got out of the discharge." Yzak grunted as he put the handcuffs on Vino. "Had the prank not been discovered when it was, it could have ended up _far_ worse."

Vino nodded, feeling embarrassed.

As Vino was led away by Yzak to the brig, Heero sighed as he slumped back in his seat. "Ugh... After a successful mission, there's _always_ that _one_ thing that ruins the mood..." He muttered to himself.

* * *

**Sammael's Lair**

In his lair, Sammael watched with interest as Major Glory stopped the incoming wave with his Arctic Breath. He was always amused somewhat by Major Glory's actions, and yet, the man was also his equal in terms of power. One of only two to survive him, the King of the Fallen, in battle. However, when Major Glory flew away from the wave, something caught the Fallen's eye. It was a fighter-type craft of some kind, at least, it was before it transformed like one of those Cybertronians into a bi-pedal form. And yet... this machine was _not_ Cybertronian. No, it looked more primitive in a few ways.

Sammael watched with interest, but before he could see the machine's capabilities, something caused his screen to frizz out, becoming nothing but static. Sammael frowned at this before he smirked suddenly. Yes, he knew who was responsible. The old mage _never_ failed to surprise him. "Well played, Yen Sid. You never cease to surprise me with what you can do. It's little wonder you were considered _the_ mage of your time, and even now." Sammael then held up a hand. "But I too have learned the ways of magic, so I too can counteract what you have done."

The screen fizzled again before regaining its picture. But by then, the machine had _decimated_ the entire frozen wave. All that remained were a few fragments that had somehow remained in place. Sammael chuckled. "Ah, so _that_ was your gambit, was it? You sneaky mage... Hiding what that machine can do. Well, no matter. I will find out in time what the technology of the Faceless Ones can do."

Sammael shut off the screen, just as he turned back to another one behind him, showing the areas where several dimensionally displaced beings were, including two that were going after Van Kleiss.

* * *

**Nowhere Mountains**

Ikki and Metabee were talking amongst themselves now, keeping things as quiet as they could. "Do you think we can really trust these two?" Metabee asked his 'brother' in concern.

"We don't have much of a choice." Ikki admitted, feeling Metabee's worry and concern over their Synchronization bond.

The KBT-type Medabot looked down. "Yeah, but... what if they are really working for that Van Kleiss guy? I mean... we know nothing about them, or about this place! We are just lost!"

Ikki frowned but had to admit, his 'brother' had a point. "I understand, but they _did_ save us."

Metabee grumbled, knowing Ikki was right. "I hate it when you're right sometimes..."

Ikki laughed sheepishly. "Sorry..."

Metabee then looked back at Agent Six and Rex, who were walking just ahead of them. Six had dropped off the girl at the closest hospital, which was in the town of Nowhere. The name made Metabee snort mentally. _'Whoever named that town really wasn't very creative...'_

Ikki nudged Metabee. "Something wrong?"

The Medabot looked back and shook his head. "Nah. Just thinking, that's all."

"About what?" Ikki asked.

Metabee sighed here. "Just... about what we may need to do to help these two out. I mean, I know I work best as your Medabot, but if our bond is taken into consideration, we _cannot_ use i_t_. We used _it_ once before, and you know what _that_ does to us."

"Ah... You mean...?" Ikki trailed off here, knowing all to well what Metabee meant.

"Yeah..." Metabee murmured. "The Medaforce…" He said softly, in a whisper. "We _cannot_ Synchronize... Not if it exposes _that_ and puts us in danger of using _it_ when we do."

"But why can't we use _it_ when we are here?" Ikki asked, confused.

"You _really_ want to get an answer to that?" Metabee grumbled.

Ikki shook his head, realizing what Metabee was getting at. "No... I don't..."

"Good." Metabee said before Six's voice got the attention of the brothers.

"Hey! Are you two coming or what?" Six called back to them.

"Yeah, we're coming!" Ikki assured the two as he and Metabee raced to catch up.

* * *

**Zero Squad reveals the _true_ extent of their titular machine's power while Ikki and Metabee follow Six and Rex to Van Kleiss's lair as Yen Sid keeps Sammael from seeing Wing Zero's sheer power. What happens next? Read on to find out~! :3 Don't forget to read and review! ^^**


	18. Tale of Two Heights VII

**Here is another chapter~! :3**

**GCD: Thanks! :D**

**merendinoemiliano: Oh, they will be fine with Rex and Six. :3**

**nightmaster000: Glad you liked it! :3 I REALLY wanna see how everyone in GrimmFall reacted to Wing Zero's power! XD And the group left Buttercup in the town of Nowhere, with the Baggs. :3 It just wasn't shown. ^^'**

**Lord Maximus: That was the plan! :3 I may do more Stan Lee cameos down the road! :D**

**Titanic X: Glad you like it. :)**

**Note: If any readers have an account, then please review using your account please. If you are too lazy to log in, then at least leave your account name so I can know who you are. If any reader does not have an account, then **_PLEASE_** use a **consistent - i.e. THE SAME** name when reviewing, **_not_** the usual 'Guest', so I can respond in a more personal manner, as the name 'Guest' does not seem too personable to me.**

_***"Cybertronian"***_

* * *

**_File 11: Kabuto Bi-Pedal Tank-Military Model Medabot (KBT-3M)_**

_The Kabuto Bi-Pedal Tank-Military Model Medabot, or KBT-3M, is a Medabot made for military operations. Like its name implies, this Medabot is a walking tank, with insanely durable armor that can shrug off most weapons, from small arms all the way to a high-powered shot-gun. When it comes to the mini-guns though, the armor of the KBT-3M _can_ be damaged, albeit at a slower rate than most other military-type Medabots. Explosive weapons like grenades and rocket launchers can do damage as well, but mostly moderate damage. There have been numerous reports of a KBT-3M type Medabot taking damage upon damage and still making it to the objective in a warzone despite the damages being severe._

_However, the biggest thing for a KBT-3M type Medabot to survive was an abandoned 3-story building collapsing on one, the Meadbot in question being the KBT-3M type named Metabee. While Metabee _did_ survive the collapse, he suffered_ severe_ damages to his internal framework, requiring a complete overhaul to repair the cracked frame parts or outright replace them, albeit with the same type of parts made of the same materials. The overhaul period lasted for half a year, showing how severe the damages really were._

_That said, while it _is_ possible for Metabee to survive the same thing again, due to the internal framework damage he suffered, it is _not_ recommended to try that again, because he would most likely not be so lucky next time._

**_File 12:_****_ De-Sync_**

_De-Sync is the state that happens when a Medabot and Meda-fighter are not able to Synchronize. If the Medabot or Meda-fighter is not on the same synchronization rate as their partner and they try to Synchronize, then they will enter the De-Sync state, where the Medabot and Meda-fighter wind up mentally unstable, meaning hallucinations can occur, voices not there are heard, incoherent thoughts or speaking will occur, and even a sensation of being bodiless can be reported as well._

_The only way to exit the De-Sync state is to fall back into Synchronization, which can he hard to do in De-Sync. It is _not_ impossible though, as several Synchro Teams have reported being able to regain their normal sanity and mindset when Synchronizing. However, it is _not_ recommended to go into De-Sync in general because of the fact that Synchro Teams normally aren't able to get out of De-Sync._

* * *

**Nowhere Mountains**

Ikki and Metabee were having a difficult time against the incoming enemies. Why? They were all firing on the four of them at once! As it was, the two brothers were hiding behind a thick rock formation and Metabee was only able to fire back a few times before being forced to duck back down every now and then. Rex and Six were dealing with the other two; thanks to Metabee's quick temper, he had gotten the attention of the enemy with the rocket launcher and the mini-guns. But now the enemies were appearing to ignore the brothers in favor of Rex and Six, only firing on the other two once and a while.

"Damn it... We're outmatched here!" Metabee swore. "I may be a KBT-3M-type Medabot, but even I have limits on how much firepower I can take at once!"

Ikki hissed under his breath. "Yeah, and we don't have any of our Meda-parts we can transport here."

Metabee yelped as he was forced to duck back down again after firing off a few of his Seeker Missiles. He shielded his head with his arms as debris fell all around him, clattering off his armor. "How can we beat these things?!" Metabee hissed as he looked back over the rock formation the two were forced to hide behind. "If we remain here, we will get hurt or worse! This rock will not hold forever..."

Ikki knew his Medabot/brother was right. But what _could_ they do? The black-clad, powerful enemies before them were heavily armed, and it was a certainty that Metabee would get severe damages if he fought them head on.

Looking back, Metabee could see Rex and Six were having a difficult time as well. Metabee frowned as he saw that. "Hey, Ik? Do you think those humans were sent after Rex and Six?"

The human looked at the Medabot in confusion. "What makes you say that?"

"Think about it, Ik." Metabee said. "Those humans have been firing on us, but mostly on Rex and Six. We have been ignored for the most part."

Ikki then had a plan come to mind. "Hey... I think we can use that to our advantage..."

"Yeah? How? Me being the bait?" Metabee snarked.

"No, dim-bot. We attack the enemy while Rex and Six are the targets." Ikki replied with a deadpan look.

Metabee looked back out and grinned beneath his faceplate. "I get it... They won't notice us because they are too focused on the targets!"

Ikki grinned as well. "You ready?"

Metabee gave his Synchro partner a nod.

The two of them rushed out from hiding, Metabee protecting Ikki from being hit if they happened to be fired upon again, thanks to his durable armor.

Metabee activated his tank treads and began to speed along the ground before coming up on the odd 'man' that was firing on Rex once more. He sped around behind the 'man' before jumping up into the air before landing on the 'man's' back.

"Hey, ya creepy triplet! Let's see how you like tangling with me!" Metabee quipped as he wrapped his arms around the 'man's' neck, holding on with all his might. His legs swung freely as the 'man' tried to pull the Medabot off, but to no avail.

"Hang on, Metabee!" Ikki said as he tried to come up with an addition to his plan.

"Trust me, I ain't planning on letting go!" Metabee exclaimed as he was swung around, but he didn't loosen his grip. Looking around, Ikki tried to come up with a plan before he saw some large rocks overhead.

"Metabee, fire your missiles above you!" Ikki exclaimed.

Metabee smirked before he planted his feet on the 'man's' back and pushed off, sending the 'man' stumbling forwards. Metabee landed on his feet before he sped backwards using his tank treads on his feet and fired off two Seeker Missiles at the rocks that hung above the 'man'. "MISSILE LAUNCH!"

The two warheads sped out and towards the rocks. They made impact, sending the rocks tumbling down on the 'man', which crushed the form below them. Ikki looked on warily as Metabeee came to a stop almost beside him. "Did... did we do it?"

For a moment, it seemed as if they had, but then, Metabee's radar acted up, just as the rocks moved. From the rocks came the odd enemy they had been fighting. Metabee hissed beneath his breath. "What does _that_ tell you?" The Medabot hissed back. "I don't know what it will take, but that enemy needs to be knocked down a peg or two."

The odd enemy turned around, making Ikki and Metabee tense up. "Ikki… I think there's only one way we can win against this type of enemy..."

Ikki looked unsure however. "But you _know_ what happens when we use it!"

"It's either we do, or we die!" Metabee snapped back.

Ikki frowned, knowing his partner was right. "Yeah... but..."

Looking back, the brothers could see the enemy approaching them, weapons aimed at them both.

* * *

**Objective 3: Terminate Targets**

**Status: Interference**

**New Objective: Remove Interference**

The Terminator fired on the odd mechanical life-form and the human, but the mechanical form took the blows, its armor standing up to the onslaught of bullets.

The objectives would be completed, no matter what stood in the way.

* * *

Metabee grunted as his body was impacted by a myriad of bullets, but thankfully, his armor was able to withstand the bullets. Ikki looked down at his Me-Gauntlet, which revealed the damages were adding up and accumulating. He bit his lower lip nervously. So far, Metabee's systems were in civilian mode, meaning they were locked in to the weaker state that was required for him to be able to have Metabee participate in the Meda-Battle World Circuit. That meant at 50% damages, the equivalent of 100% for civilian model Medabots, Metabee's systems would go into systems freeze and eject his Medal. There was a way around that, but Ikki was not sure if he should because the enemy was human.

However, when Ikki glanced up, his eyes widened when he saw something that threw him for a loop. Realizing what this meant, he knew what he had to do now. Ikki reached into his pocket and pulled out his ID card. He knew what this would do.

Looking up, Ikki's eyes flashed as he held up his Me-Gauntlet and the card. "INVOKE! SYSTEM RELEASE!" As soon as he said those words, Ikki slid the card through the ID reader on his Me-Gauntlet, causing the screen to light up with the words LIMITER RELEASE coming up on it.

As soon as the letters faded, it showed an image of Metabee's systems, which then flashed from red to green, showing the system limiter installed was now overridden. Metabee gasped as he felt the system limiter shut down before he felt his systems go from their limited state to full operational status. Bullets still pelted his armor, but now he wasn't in danger of going into a systems freeze.

Metabee looked up as the bullets ceased flying for a brief moment. He lowered his arms and then activated his treads and sped in towards the enemy, which was now revealed to be a machine. The skin-like covering of the machine was falling away from the left side of its face. Ikki then called out to his partner."Metabee! That thing's not human! It's a machine!"

Metabee, upon hearing this, looked up and realized why Ikki had released his systems limiter. He could see the robotic skull of the machine before them. Metabee then felt a grin cross his face beneath his faceplate. "I see now! Thanks, Ik!"

Ikki grinned before Metabee finally got in range of the mechanical menace. "_Laser Fuser!"_ Metabee opened fire with his laser pistol, but, as he was now no longer limited by the systems limiter, he could attack at full power. Laser blasts pelted the robotic attacker, beginning to send the machine staggering back under the assault.

"Keep hitting it, Metabee!" Ikki ordered. "Switch to physical rounds!"

"Right!" Metabee exclaimed. Ikki's Me-Gauntlet showed Metabee's systems switching over to physical bullets with the words TYPE 3 ROUNDS EQUIPPED appearing on the screen. The round change complete, Metabee opened fire with his sub-machine gun on his left arm, sending a slew of heavy bullets at the robot he was fighting.

The bullets impacted, throwing out sparks and bits of oil and other hydraulic fluids from the joints; Metabee was not aiming at the thickly armored parts, but rather the thinly armored joints.

Metabee smirked to himself. _'_Now_ we have the advantage!'_ He continued his assault, but the robotic foe opened fire again with a grenade launcher, firing the shaped charge right at Metabee's path.

"Metabee! Grenade!" Ikki shouted.

Metabee gasped as he saw the incoming charge and veered away from it, but barely avoided getting a leg blown off. "WAH!" He was thrown into the air before flipping twice before he landed on his stomach/side. "OW!"

Looking up, Metabee groaned as he saw the robotic foe coming towards him in a menacing manner, slow and deliberate.

_*"Warning! Left leg damage at 17% Left tread disabled due to debris damage. Right leg damage at 16%. Right arm damage at 28%. Left arm damage at 29%. Torso damage at 3%."*_ The Me-Gauntlet chirped to Ikki.

Ikki hissed to himself. He had been right to disable the systems limiter if these damages were any indication. _'If I had left the system limiter on, then Metabee would have lost control of his left arm and right arm at 50%...'_

As it was, Metabee was already dealing with a lot. Being a Medabot built for war, he had an advantage in that he could withstand an insane amount of damage, even up to a three story building falling on him, only to emerge still able to fight; in the case of the building falling on him, Metabee _could_ survive, but he would require _severe_ repairs due to internal frame damage.

Ikki looked back up as Metabee got to his feet. "Ugh... So much for dodging the grenade..."

"Metabee, do you think you're up to fighting still?" Ikki asked, wanting to be sure his brother was still up to it.

"Heck yeah!" Metabee exclaimed as he faced down the robotic killer again. "Just tell me what to do, Ik!"

Ikki nodded as he looked at the robotic killing machine again. "Okay, it's strong in armor, but the joints are vulnerable. However, the weapons are the major issue here... We need to disarm that thing somehow." Ikki looked over the mechanical form before him and Metabee, only to realize something. "The arms! Metabee! Shoot the arms with your Seeker Missiles! Aim for the shoulder joints!"

Metabee gave a cocky smirk beneath his faceplate. "You got it!" He squared his shoulders as he aimed his head at the robotic attacker. "MISSILE LAUNCH!" The twin warheads belched from his missile launcher tower and sped towards the enemy robot before them. The enemy tried to open fire with a rocket launcher, but Metabee's missiles dodged the rockets. Or rather, Metabee opened fire on the rockets so his missiles could get through. The explosions of his bullets meeting the rockets concealed the missiles and their flight path. _'C'mon... just a bit more...'_ The brothers thought at the same time, feeling themselves Synchronizing.

The mechanical man stopped firing the rockets, leaving only a cloud of smoke. Things were silent for a moment, making Ikki and Metabee worry the missiles had been hit, only for the characteristic shriek of the missiles to be heard as they sped out of the smoke and towards the mechanical mannequin. The warheads made direct contact with the shoulder joints of the attacking mecha, blowing off both arms. Metabee and Ikki gave whoops of joy and excitement. "YES!" Metabee cheered before he ran back into battle, his green optics flashing with the glint of victory. He jumped up before bringing his hands together, his fists clasping together before he brought them down on the mechanical monstrosity's head, caving it in with his full strength. "HAA-YAH!"

The head sparked for a moment as the mechanical imitation of a man fell back, then the head exploded into a fireball, just as Metabee jumped back and landed on the ground.

"Way ta go!" Ikki exclaimed before he looked back at Rex and Agent Six. "But we have two more to take out first."

Metabee looked back at the fighting and nodded. "Right. Let's go back 'em up!"

Ikki gave a grin and nodded. "Right!"

The two brothers ran into the fray again, this time with a plan in mind. "Metabee, take out the one firing that one firing on Agent Six!"

At Ikki's command, the Kabuto Bi-Pedal Tank-Military Model Medabot (KBT-3M) ran at the mechanical man firing on Agent Six with its shotgun. "_Laser Machinegun!"_ Metabee switched to laser rounds again, aiming at the shoulder joints once more. The laser bullets hit the joints, but they didn't sever the arms. It _did_ get the attention of the attacker though, which made Metabee grin to himself. He then hid behind a boulder and did something that was true to his nature: he flipped the bird at the mechanical man.

* * *

**GrimmFall**

Agunimon had recovered by now and was leaving for Denver, insisting that seeing Dracon was something he couldn't put off for much longer. He _had_ promised to return after his visit though, and Kazemon was watching as the Denver Bullet C was leaving. Agunimon watched as Kazemon's form began to fade into the distance, feeling a bit bad about leaving her side, but he had been there for quite a while, and he wanted to go and check up on Kumamon and Dracon.

Leaning back in his seat, the Warrior of Flame sighed as he turned away from the window. He reached over and pulled up the computer located at the train seat. _'I _have_ been a bit distant from Dracon lately. Might as well see what he has been up to.'_ Agunimon thought as he began to look through the Huntsman website for any mission updates for Dracon.

* * *

In GrimmFall park, on the _Constitution_, Heero perked up as he saw news on the SkyWeb about the Dragon of Denver being back in Denver. He frowned to himself. _'And we just pulled Shinn and Chris back from there...'_ The admiral decided to hold off on sending the two back there for now. It didn't seem too likely he would be there for long.

Looking back at the main monitor at his desk, Heero could see the media was abuzz with excitement about something. "Hmmm..." His eyes narrowed as he read the ticker below. Heero turned up the volume. _"... ball later this week at the Radcliffe Estate here in London, England. The most renowned Huntsmen and Heroes will be showing up for the festivities, including some of the wealthiest people on the planet."_

Heero perked up as he heard that. _'Maybe...'_ He pressed the button on his desk. "General Allen, Cagalli Yula Zala-Attha, please report to my office. There is a mission I would like you two to pull off."

* * *

A few hours later, General Allen and Cagalli were leaving Admiral Yuy's office, their mission clear. They were to infiltrate the Radcliffe party to see if there was any information they could gather on Satyra or even Fallen like Sammael. Cagalli shivered. "I know it's a mission, but going to a formal ball? Ugh... I deal with those enough as Queen..."

"I haven't been to a formal ball since leaving office as President of the United States." General Allen chuckled.

"Lucky..." Cagalli grumbled.

General Allen looked back at her fellow pilot and leader. "Don't worry. We only have to be there for a short while. It's not ideal, but we need this experience. We need to know how high society acts here."

"I know..." The ORN Union queen sighed.

The two Naturals made their way to 'The Closet', as the storage room for infiltration outfits was known. Cagalli flicked on the lights, revealing walls of dresses, suits, shirts, pants, skirts, and shoes. Cagalli walked over and pulled out a green dress from the dress section and some long white gloves that went up to halfway up her upper arms. The dress was strapless as well.

General Allen walked over as well, and pulled out a dress that was red with gold and silver thread woven into it as well, making it look like a dress made of fire. The sleeves were three-quarter length down the arms, and it had a nice slit that went partway up the hips. It even came with black pants that were skin tight, enough to look like tights. There were white gloves that went with the dress as well, but they were only ones that covered her hands.

Cagalli stared at the dress. "Whoa... Where did you find _that_?"

"You like it?" General Allen grinned. "It's one of my personal dresses."

Cagalli blinked. "One of... Wow... _That_ is a dress that would turn heads."

The former President grinned some more. "I've wanted to wear this for a while, so why not for this mission?"

Cagalli grinned. "You're a bit crazy, but then again, we wouldn't be Gundam pilots if we weren't crazy."

Both women laughed as they finished gathering up the clothing and other articles/items they would need to pass off a wealthy socialites.

* * *

**Nowhere Mountains**

In his lair, Van Kleiss was surprised that one of his Terminators had been beaten, and by that gold and white robot and his human partner no less.

"Well now... perhaps I underestimated those two." Van Kleiss noted with some intrigue in his voice. "The boy is clearly resourceful, and his robot companion is obviously very durable in build, if not clearly robust in construction as well."

"But that thing beat one of the Terminators!" Skalamander exclaimed.

"Yes. And that shows how powerful this robot is." Van Kleiss smirked. "Well, when working with the human he is with anyway."

Vexus frowned at seeing the robot fighting alongside the human. "Removing the human will render the robot ineffective for combat, possibly freeing it from bondage."

Van Kleiss chuckled. "Yes, it would. But rest assured, that robot is _not_ in bondage. He fights alongside the human willingly."

"What should we do, Boss? Do we have the Terminators wipe out the robot and the human?" Skalamander asked, worried now.

Van Kleiss looked at the images in thought. "Hmm..." He figured the three Terminators would be enough, but now it was more like a two-on-two match almost. He hadn't counted on those two intruders from before coming back. A smirk crossed his face. "The Terminators can handle Rex, Six, and these two. The loss of one Terminator doesn't mean much in the end."

Skalamander nodded. "Of course, Boss."

* * *

**GrimmFall**

The Gundam Force was looking over information from the SkyWeb, Shute having swiped an old, yet functional, tablet from the trash and reconfiguring it for their own use.

"So, anything that could help us gain our ace-in-the-hole back?" Guneagle asked Shute, who flipped through site after site for any information.

"Well... if we're looking for something that can give us our ability back, there _has_ to be something we could use..." Shute began, albeit hesitantly.

"What is it?" Zero asked.

Shute turned the tablet to show the Gundams and Princess Rele. "Well, looking around, I haven't found much, but there _are_ rumors of something that is of great power in the jungles of Mexico here."

Bakunetsumaru held up a fist. "Then we need to track down this item."

"But _where_?" Guneagle pointed out.

Baku hung his head, sweat-drops running down his helmet. "Good point..."

"Hmm... Most peculiar." Captain noted as he studied the information on the screen. "It says nothing about what this item could be. If we don't know what it is, then our chances of finding it are greatly reduced."

Shute looked at the information himself. "Hey, you're right!"

Rele perked up. "Then is it deliberate that there is no information on this item?"

"That may be the case, milady." Zero pointed out. "But we still need to search anyway."

"Well, maybe we _don't_ need to take it from wherever it is." Guneagle spoke up, a plan coming to mind. "What if we just borrow it while on the premises of wherever it is? This way, we don't get accused of stealing it, and the item can remain hidden and safe. We put it right back once we get our ability back."

Baku looked at Guneagle with pride. "You have come a long way since you first joined us."

Guneagle gave a cheeky grin in his green eyes. "Are you sure about that? Remember Paintball Corridor?"

Baku fell over at that comment. "How could I forget...?" His left foot twitched in the air.

Captain looked down at Baku as that happened.

Shute sighed at the antics of his friends. "Oh boy..."

* * *

**Townsville**

Esebu's optics dimmed a shade as he watched the Jojo Buster make its way towards the city.

'_Oh, no you don't!_' he thought. He dashed through the streets, trying to avoid the city's populace as best he could.

Well, it helped that they were already moving out of the way since there was a battle about to commence. He guessed that this had to be from the constant battles against villains like Mojo Jojo and Elmer Sglue or whatever his name was.

He gave a nod to one of the police officers leading several civilians to the shelters, sort of like what Tokyo did during a K-Alert. Only there was no siren blaring and no notices being broadcast.

A blur of pink and blue caught his optic and he turned, spotting the two heroines as they sped right for Mojo Jojo's mecha.

The villain laughed as the two drew closer. "_Hahahahahahahaha! Is this all you can muster for me, Powerpuffs?!_" he cackled.

He raised the Jojo Buster's right arm, and the twin blades on it began to glow with fire Dust lines. "_Here's a little toast... to your defeat!_" the Mobian roared.

The blades gleamed in the light and Esebu drove his frame to its limits. His feet pounded the pavement, the hydraulics, pistons, and systems of his legs pumping as fast and hard as he could get them. His engine was now racing in his chest as he crouched, and, channeling as much Aura as he could into his hydraulics, he jumped into the air, his Wheelset Drill coming to his grasp in a flash of blue light.

"_RAAAAAAAAAAH!_" A loud roar escaped his vocalizer as he thrust it forward, his Aura swirling around his frame as he thrust his drill out before him. He pressed the trigger and it began to spin up as his Aura started to creep over it, changing to a brilliant blue color and engulfing the weapon in a blazing blue fire. He hit the trigger twice more, and the Dust dispensers slid open, allowing ice Dust to flow out and cover the drill in an icy sheen. "**_WHEELSET KORI DRIVER!_**"

The supervillain slashed with the new weapon, and unleashed a fiery red shockwave, which startled the two girls as they braked in midair. Blossom's eyes were wide as Bubbles gripped her sister in her terror. Esebu could clearly see the fear on their faces, and he pushed more Aura into his drill as he landed on the ground in front of them, slamming his drill into the pavement and causing ice spikes to erupt from it, creating a makeshift shield of ice.

He could detect the condensation forming on his armor and making the air incredibly humid as the fire melted the ice shield partially.

A small gasp from Bubbles reached his audios and he looked back over his shoulder as he pulled his drill out of the pavement. "You two all right?" he asked, his deep voice holding a touch of concern to it.

Bubbles let go of Blossom and blinked. "E-Esebu?"

He nodded.

"I guess we have to thank you for saving us," Blossom murmured, wiping the sweat off her forehead. "But how'd you know where to find us?"

The _Shinkalion_ tapped his helm with a finger. "Radar. That's how." He lowered his hand and looked back to the Jojo Buster as it stood up straight. "_So, we meet again, Esebu!_" Mojo sneered.

"What's it to you, monkey breath?!" the _Shinkalion_ snapped. He brandished his drill as he got into a runner's stance.

The villain laughed as he hefted his machine's new swords. "_I must admit. Our first encounter gave me more ideas for on how to defeat the Powerpuff Girls! And I shall thank you for that, my alien friend!_"

"I think not!" Esebu growled. He watched the Jojo Buster intently, eyeing the surroundings as well. He knew the layout of the city fairly well at this point, having scoured maps of it and committing them to memory. While his memory may not have been as good as a human, in his _Shinkalion_ frame he could call upon those memory files at will and examine them in precise detail - one of the many perks of having such a frame, he had discovered.

The two began to circle, the Powerpuff Girls getting ready to charge in.

"Wait!" Esebu's call stopped them cold.

Both heroines looked back at him. "What?" Blossom was baffled. "What is it?"

The lead _Shinkalion_ gestured with his drill at the two swords on the mecha's arm. "Something's not right here," he stated. "He never had that kind of weapon on his machine before. And despite what I heard of him, he, despite being a mechanical engineering genius, should not have been able to craft such a weapon without having a base design to go by."

Blossom looked at Esebu critically, then back at the Jojo Buster as it bounced on its metal feet like a mechanical boxer.

"For all we know, he could've had the idea and made blueprints for it," the pink-eyed heroine remarked.

But Esebu wasn't buying it.

"I don't know about that," he admitted, studying the machine critically.

Mojo Jojo's laughter suddenly caught their attention. "_So, are you ready for round two, Esebu?_"

The _Shinkalion_ gripped his drill in response. His optics pulsed as he tensed his frame for the next move.

Mojo spread his machine's arms and brandished his new weapon. Then, not even wasting a second more, he lunged for Esebu. The lone optic flashed as he drew back his machine's fist, the mounting for the twin blades suddenly extending upwards. For a brief moment, Esebu was baffled, only for a whirring sound to fill his audios and he gasped as he realized what was coming his way. He twisted his frame to the side, barely summoning his Aura in the nick of time. The spinning blades glanced off his Aura and he landed, sliding back a bit.

The Jojo Buster spun around, the optic flickering as Mojo laughed. "_How do you like my Drill Breaker, Esebu?_" he taunted.

"That's nothing!" the train spat. He crouched a bit and then sprang off the ground, breaking into a full on sprint. His feet pounded the pavement as he ran, his optics flashing as he drew back a fist and punched as hard as he could, shunting some of his Aura into his hydraulics to boost his blow. His fist collided with Mojo's machine, denting the chest armor and sending it staggering back. Mojo grunted from the force of the impact, but he didn't let up. He retaliated with a punch of his own, driving his left fist towards Esebu's helm.

The younger _Shinkalion_ ducked the blow and took the chance to thrust his drill forward, pressing down on the trigger to spin it up to full power. The motors whirred and he felt the weapon shake. A battle cry escaped his vocalizer as he aimed his weapon for the Jojo Buster's hip joints. However, Mojo was too fast on the uptake and he swiveled his machine's hips, rotating them a full ninety degrees and lashing out in a side kick that nailed Esebu in the torso.

A grunt escaped him as he landed on his back a fair distance from the other train.

"D-Dammit...!" he grunted, getting to his feet.

Two blurs of color reached his optics and he perked up, seeing the two Powerpuffs fly in, their eyes glowing red.

"NO! WAIT!" Esebu screamed, trying to get them to stop, but it was too late.

The two heroines unleashed brilliant red beams from their eyes, but Mojo just scoffed. "_Nice try,_" he stated. The Jojo Buster raised its left arm and extended the hand, only for the twin pairs of laser vision to deflect _off its palm!_ "_But I have prepared for this. Your little superpowers won't do you much good against the Jojo Buster!_"

Shock flooded Esebu's frame at those words.

And from the looks of their own expressions, the girls were also shocked. Bubbles was hovering there in shock as Blossom narrowed her eyes. Already Esebu could gather she was trying to think of a plan; he had heard from some of the other students that she was a brilliant leader and planner for their battles.

But Mojo wasn't about to give her the chance to do so. He laughed as he lowered his machine's right arm. "_Finally! So ends the reign of the Powerpuff Girls!_" he cackled. He aimed the right arm for the two, and those blades began to whir ominously as they spun up, matching a drill in capability.

A roar escaped the villain as he lunged for the two, thrusting his drill forward, attempting to gore Bubbles in two.

"_**NO!**_" he roared.

* * *

**Nowhere Mountains**

Back with the battle, Ikki had _finally_ realized what these things he, Metabee, Rex, and Six were fighting were. These things were from a familiar famous movie franchise in his home universe. "I never imagined we would be fighting Terminators..." Ikki growled to himself.

Metabee hissed as he ducked down, the second Terminator's shots missing his head, but barely. "You're kidding me, right? We're _really_ fighting Terminators?!"

"How else do you explain the mechanical, and yet human-like, skull from that last one we defeated?" Ikki pointed out. He then frowned as he looked back out from behind their hiding spot. "This is just crazy!"

Agent Six and Rex had regrouped with the brothers, Rex panting heavily as he looked at the Synchro-team.

"Is that what they are called?" Rex panted as he looked at Ikki.

"Yeah. The Terminator is a fictional movie character back home." Ikki replied as he looked back at Rex. He then looked back at the Terminators, which were looking for Rex and Six still. "But I never imagined they would be real..."

Metabee looked out from behind their hiding spot, only to see the two mechanical men looking over at their hiding spot, but the thick rock made it hard to pick up their body heat on sensors for the time being. "They're looking for us."

"No, duh!" Ikki hissed back. "We know that, dim-bot!"

Six looked back at Ikki. "I saw one was defeated. Was that your doing?"

Ikki gave a sheepish grin. "Ehehe… You could say that..."

"How?" Rex asked.

Metabee gave a grin here. "I'm a KBT-3M-type Medabot. It's what this frame was built to do."

"KBT-3M-type Medabot?" Rex and Six asked at the same time.

Ikki sighed here. "Metabee is a Medabot that was built for war." He explained. "KBT-3M stands for Kabuto Bi-Pedal Tank-Military Model Medabot. Kabuto is the type of Medal that can run in the frame, Bi-Pedal is for walking on two legs, Tank is for the thick armor and durability. Military Model means the frame was made for combat, and Medabot is what the frame is. Hence why the KBT-3M designation."

"You have a piece of military-grade equipment under your command?!" Agent Six demanded.

"Oi! I'm not 'a piece of equipment'!" Metabee exclaimed angrily. "I'm a recognized intelligent being!"

Ikki held up his hands to pacify Agent Six and Metabee. "Look, I know it's not normal, but I know what I am dealing with! Metabee is my brother, and there is a reason I am able to keep his current frame!"

"Explain." Six insisted.

Ikki held up his Me-Gauntlet. "Metabee has a system limiter installed that keeps him on a civilian Medabot power level. If I run my ID card through the ID scanner here, I can release said limiter, but only under certain conditions, like facing down another 3M-type Medabot, or even in this situation, against these Terminators."

Agent Six seemed to be satisfied with the explanation, but it didn't explain the one burning question on his mind. "Is there a oversight committee that is aware of you being in the possession of a '3M-type' frame?"

"Yes." Ikki admitted. "It's the World Meda-Battle Regulations Commission, or WMRC. They are well aware of what frame I am in possession of. In fact, they were the ones who set the rules that I could use Metabee in Meda-Battles, or battles between Medabots, albeit with the limiter I mentioned being installed."

"And if you are against a similar frame type, you can release said limiter with no issues." Six noted.

Ikki nodded. "Yeah. In fact, I had to release the limiter because of what we are fighting right now."

Metabee sighed. "If he hadn't, if I accumulated 50% damage on all of my parts, I would go into a systems freeze, where I shut down and my Medal ejects."

Rex and Six realized how serious the battle was for these two at that. "One more question." Six asked. "How much damage can your... brother... sustain before he shuts down?"

Metabee gave a sheepish grin. "Um... well, my frame type is made to withstand almost anything. Small arms fire up to and including a high-powered shot-gun do no damage with assault rifles getting the same result, mini-guns will do some damage, but at a slower rate than other military Medabots, and explosives will do moderate damage."

"I see." Six noted. "It seems you can withstand anything then."

Ikki looked a bit nervous now. "Well... bombs can do severe damage, but only to the armor. If you want to _really_ knock out a KBT-3M type Medabot… you'd better pray there is an empty 3-story building nearby... Metabee was involved in a collapse of such a building, and while he _did_ survive it, he was out of commission for 6 months undergoing a _complete_ overhaul to his internal framework."

"Not that I want to go through that again..." Metabee muttered before he perked up. "Get down!"

Rex, Six, and Ikki all ducked down as Metabee did as well, a rocket barely missing their location. Metabee looked up, growling to himself. "Damn things found us..."

"Is there _any_ way we can jam their sensors?!" Rex growled.

Ikki perked up as he heard that question. At once, he began to look through the specs of Metabee-s body and systems on his Me-Gauntlet. "Let's see... radar, no... sensors, no... weapons systems, no... Ah! Wow... this would have been handy to know about sooner."

"What?" Agent Six asked as he looked at Ikki.

"Metabee apparently has a jamming system installed." Ikki replied. He looked over the specs for said system, only to frown. "But it's not what we need. It jams communications, but not sensors for seeing. However, if I have the time, I could calibrate it so it can do that instead of jamming communications."

"It will have to wait." Rex said seriously. "Those Terminator things are coming this way!"

* * *

**GrimmFall Park**

Heero looked out at the city around the ship, seeing what was going on in the park. People, Faunus, and Mobians were going about their day, enjoying the park. Some were on dates, some were exercising, and some were just having family time together. _'And it is all being threatened by the Grimm, the Fallen, and Satyra.'_ The admiral thought to himself. _'If this park is a representation of what could be, then it is ideal indeed. Sadly, we know that the ideal world is not possible. Even if our own world is at peace and seems ideal, we still have issues that this place has. The_ only_ reason no one is willing to wage war against another genetic race is because of the Decade of Division.'_

That time of strife came back to Heero's memories, making him close his eyes as he remembered how many lives had been lost, how many people had been affected by the wars, and how many lives had been ruined by combat. The people of LOGOs, the Durandalites, the Ziaigon War, the 00 Conflict, and the CE-AC War came to mind. _'The First BV War was to end discrimination-based conflict, the Second BV War was to end the idea of religion or fate ruling all and to end profiting off of war, the Zaigon Conflict was to end territorial expansion, the 00 Conflict was to serve as a reminder of what oppression could do, and the CE-AC War was to show we could overcome everything when faced with our worst vices all over again.'_ Heeo mused to himself as he opened his eyes. _'If the Decade of Division was a test, we appear to have passed, at least to an extent._'

He turned away from the window of his room and walked over to his desk before sitting down. Heero brought up images of GrimmFall, looking for any potential places where he could have a Gundam head out and hide in case any new Grimm or evil forces from this world came to attack the city. _'We may as well help out when we can while we're here.'_ He mused with a bit of a smirk.

* * *

**Nowhere Mountains**

Van Kleiss looked on as the battle between Rex, Six, the two intruders from before, and the Terminators went on. It seemed Rex and Six had gained a reprieve now thanks to those two newcomers, the ones who had shown that odd power before. _'Hmm... Maybe I can force them to use it again, just so I can see what it is truly capable of and if I can use it for myself.'_ Van Kleiss mused with some interest.

* * *

Outside the lair, Ikki, Metabee, Rex, and Six were trying to stay alive as the two remaining Terminators were fighting them.

"Damn it..." Metabee hissed as he sat with Ikki behind another pile of rocks. Ikki was working on trying to get the tread on his left leg operational again, but due to the debris lodged in it, it was slow going. "Any luck, Ik?"

"You think it's easy to get the debris out in the middle of a battle?" Ikki snapped back. "I'm trying my best, but it's not going so well!"

Metabee couldn't blame Ikki for snapping since this was literally a life-or-death situation, not that they hadn't faced similar situations back home, but this was a totally different level here.

"Ikki, calm down." Rex said. "We can't have you losing your cool."

"Yeah, _I'm_ the one who does that." Metabee pointed out. _"You_ need to stay calm and in control." Metabee then sighed. "I can't believe _I'm_ the one who's saying this, but losing your temper in battle is _not_ the way to win one, and _I_ should know, because well... you know... personal experience and all that."

To hear that _Metabee_ was being the voice of reason here was a shock to Ikki, so much so that he felt all of his anger leave his body. Metabee was _never_ usually the voice of reason; that normally fell to Brass and Erika, and on occasion, Rokusho. Ikki could count on one hand the number of times Metabee had been the voice of reason, but those situations had been under certain conditions; Brass had been under Rubber Robo reprogramming into a hot-tempered fighter who snapped at every little perceived insult, Rokusho had been angry at the supposed 'murder' of his former Meda-fighter and thus lost his own temper in his grief, both Brass and Rokusho had been turned cowardly due to a programming scrambler, and the Rubber-Robos had been attacking Meda-fighter Academy which had forced the students into hiding. All four times prior, Metabee had been forced to be the voice of reason, which showed he could remain calm and level-headed, which his level of hot-headedness did not indicate at all.

Six looked at Metabee, his face not showing any emotion, but Rex could tell his friend was surprised at the level of maturity and calmness coming from the gold and white Medabot before them.

Ikki sighed, realizing that if _Metabee_ was being the voice of reason, then the battle was clearly one that needed _him_ to remain calm and in control as well. "Okay... You're right. Sorry, Metabee…" Ikki apologized. "I guess the stress of the battle just got to me for a moment there."

Metabee sighed. "It happens. But really, you need to remember that you're my Meda-fighter, and that means _you_ have to remain in control of yourself. I can't do it for you. And if _you_ aren't in control of your emotions, if we tried to Synchronize..." The way Metabee trailed off gave Ikki a good indication of what could happen. Ikki winced at the implications of that.

"Yeah... That... would not be good for either of us..." Ikki admitted.

"What could happen?" Rex asked in confusion.

"Trust us, you _don't_ want to know..." Metabee muttered darkly.

Six and Rex looked back at each other before looking back at the brothers. "So... What do we do now?" Rex asked as Ikki looked down in thought.

"We have two Terminators left, but... we have only so much ammo for Metabee. And our ace-in-the-hole is a double-edged sword, meaning if we use it, while it _is_ powerful, it can drain us to the point of passing out." Ikki noted as he ran through their options.

Six looked at Ikki. "And what _is_ this ace-in-the-hole?"

Metabee and Ikki looked at each other before looking back at Six and Rex. "It's best if we just show you instead of telling you since you need to see it to believe it." Metabee said seriously.

* * *

**GrimmFall**

Mayor Sebben looked up as his Gem of Sight flared, showing him a duo consisting of a gold and white robot with green optics and a human boy wearing a school uniform of sorts. Behind the two of them was the image of some kind of beetle, but engraved on a golden hexagonal panel with a green gem serving as the eye of the engraving. The scene changed to show the boy's face on one side, but with a green iris instead of blue, and the other side showed the robot's face, revealing a glowing green optic with a telescopic lens set that acted like a real iris.

It then showed the two glowing with a green aura around both of them before the robot fired off a golden energy beam at a powerful energy blast, but the golden beam of energy pierced through the more powerful energy beam instead of the larger energy beam destroying the golden energy blast.

_'Hmm... These two may be of some help to us, what with that power of theirs...'_ Sebben noted with some mild amusement. _'I wonder how they will affect future events...'_ As if on cue, his Gem of Sight showed the gold and white robot destroying a mechanical copy of a human, and Van Kleiss with a surprised look on his face at something happening before the images changed to show an 'ERROR' message over an image of the robot, on some kind of device or screen. _'Well... what do we have here? This should be interesting...'_

* * *

** Agunimon leaves for Denver while Ikki and Metabee help out Rex and Six against the Terminators, with Metabee taking one down so as to level the playing field. Meanwhile Esebu fights Mojo Jojo again, just as the Gundam Force makes plans to head to Lucha Academy to borrow the Gem of Ability. At the same time, Zero Squadron prepares to send two pilots to a party in London to try and gain more information. All the while, Van Kleiss makes plans to try and get information and data on the Meda-Force so he can use its power in his AMAZO robots. What happens next? Read on to find out~! :3 Don't forget to read and review! ^^**


	19. Tale of Two Heights VIII

**Here is another chapter~! :3**

**GCD: Here you go~! :3**

**merendinoemiliano: Oh, they will be fine with Rex and Six. :3**

**nightmaster000: Titanic is doing the scenes in Townsville, so thank her for those. I just copy and paste 'em when they're done. ^^' But I am glad you like it. :3**

**Lord Maximus: I fixed the last chapter, don't worry. ^^'**

**Titanic X: Glad you like it. :)**

**Note: If any readers have an account, then please review using your account please. If you are too lazy to log in, then at least leave your account name so I can know who you are. If any reader does not have an account, then **_PLEASE_** use a **consistent - i.e. THE SAME** name when reviewing, **_not_** the usual 'Guest', so I can respond in a more personal manner, as the name 'Guest' does not seem too personable to me.**

_***"Cybertronian"***_

* * *

**_File 13: Synchronize_**

_The bond when a Medabot and Meda-fighter share their emotions and feelings, Synchronize is a state of pure power. This state is the precursor to unleashing the Meda-Force. While it might seem like the Medabot and Meda-fighter can read their partner's mind, in reality, that is impossible. Intentions, feelings, and emotions can be read and identified as easily as words when in this state._

**_File 14: Medal_**

_This little device, shaped like a hexagon with an etching of an animal or bug on it and a green gem to serve as the eye of the etching, powers the Medabot it is inserted into. There are two types: Standard Clone and Rare Medals. A Rare Medal has its own personality upon activation in a frame while a Standard Clone Medal has to develop its personality over time. It is not uncommon for Rare Medals to unleash the Meda-Force, but the same can be said for Standard Clone Medals as well._

_There are two types of Rare Medals: Synchro and Solo Medals. Solo Medals can unleash the Meda-Force without a Synchro partner while a Synchro Medal needs a human to synchronize with to tap that power. Solo Medals are considered far more dangerous than a Synchro Medal, as the Synchro Medal has the fail-safe of needing a partner human to unleash its full power._

* * *

Metabee and Ikki were glad the Terminators were defeated, but now... now they had an issue of new worry.

"What... the FUCK?!" Metabee exclaimed as he, Six, Rex, and Ikki all stared at the incoming lower rear ends of humans running towards them all. Each one had razor sharp teeth, and tiny legs, as they swarmed towards the foursome.

"Uh... are those human butts?" Ikki asked, surprised and a bit disturbed.

"Oh crap..." Rex groaned before one of the human butts jumped onto his arm and began to chow down. Rex screamed out in pain as Metabee gasped before running at the human butt and grabbing it, yanking it off of Rex's arm. The butt tried to bite down on Metabee's arm, but the KBT-3M managed to throw it away and fired one shot at it, killing it.

Metabee was sure he had escaped unharmed, at least until he felt something chomp down on his left leg tread. Looking back, Metabee yelped when he saw another human butt was chewing down on his tread, trying to get at the metal components beneath the tread itself. "WAH!" Metabee shook his leg before throwing the butt off with the force of it. Looking at his leg, Metabee could now see there was indeed some damage from that thing chewing on his tread. "Damn it..."

Ikki looked at Six. "What do we do?!"

"We've never faced these things before." Six said. "And with Rex down with injuries, and your 'brother' sporting some damage as well, we may need to find a way to escape. It seems Van Kleiss has outsmarted us here."

Metabee hissed through his vents in anger. "So a retreat then, not a tactical withdrawal?"

"Aw man..." Rex moaned through his pain.

Ikki then yelped in shock as a human butt lunged at him, teeth trying to chomp away at him. Ikki caught it by the cheeks and was downright horrified at what he was seeing. The teeth were attached to a mouth that opened up from between the cheeks themselves, and it was chomping, like it was trying to eat his face. The boy then threw the butt aside and jumped back, trying to get to the high ground. "W-what are these things?!"

Metabee ran over to Ikki and stood in front of his partner/brother as he eyed the human butts. "I don't know, but they sure ain't friendly." One human butt tried to chomp down on Metabee again, but he kicked it away before it could open its cheeks. "Damn it... Ikki… we may have only one choice here..."

Six looked at Metabee and Ikki. "What do you have in mind?" He asked the Medabot he was looking at.

Matebee glanced at Six. "Ikki and I have a secret weapon to play, but we need to get those things into a large group, or barring that, a straight line."

"Those things won't just conveniently line up for you to shoot at!" Six snapped at Metabee.

"I know that!" Metabee countered before he punched a human butt away from his face. "Gah! These things are everywhere!"

Rex groaned as he got to his feet. "We... need to escape..."

"But how?" Ikki growled. "Metabee has damage to one of his tank treads, and these things are probably going to just keep chasing us until we either fall to them or we find a way to take them out!"

Metabee was looking around for any sign of a possible escape route or even something to use against those crazy human butt things. Then, he remembered how he and Ikki had defeated their Terminator. _'It's crazy... but we may have no choice. Then again, if it's crazy and it works, it's not crazy.'_ He looked up at the ceiling, running the necessary parameters through his processor and scanners. His green optical sensors zoomed in on what were picked out to be the weakest points, with other weak points being noted as well.

_'Okay, so if we use it on that spot there... No, that won't work. We need the whole ceiling _section_ I am thinking of to collapse, not the entire cave to come down.'_ Metabee reminded himself. _'There's_ no way_ that Ikki, Rex, Six, and I would survive that, even if I survived a 3-story building coming down on me.'_

He glanced back at the human butts that were running around, trying to bite at anyone who was in their line of sight... or was it scent? How the hell did those things see if they had no eyes? Actually, how the hell did those butt things know where _anyone_ was for that matter if they didn't have any visible eyes, noses, or even ears?!

Shaking his helm, Metabee forced the issue from his processor and got ready to fight those butt things again as one lunged at him from the side. He saw it incoming and fired off a round from his submachine gun. The bullet bit into the mouth of the butt being and the thing fell to the ground, dead.

Metabee panted as he looked back, seeing more of the butt-things running around, trying to bite at Six and Rex. Six was slashing away at them with his swords, trying to protect Rex, who was still injured.

Ikki was by now holding a large piece of rock and was bashing away at any butts that came near him. "Get away!" Ikki exclaimed as he smashed one on the mouth, but those sharp teeth just bit through the rock and nearly bit off Ikki's arm if not for Metabee firing off a round from his pistol. The shell bit into the butt being, killing it like Metabee had the last one.

Ikki, Metabee, Rex, and Six all began to back up so they were back to back against each other in a group. "Now what?" Rex asked. "These things are aiming to kill us!"

"No, duh! We know that!" Ikki snapped. He was trying to come up with a plan on how to escape the butts. "These things just eat away at anything we try to use against them, save for Metabee's rounds when he fires them. But he has only so much ammo..."

"Can he use other rounds?" Six asked as he looked at Ikki, who looked back at Six in confusion.

"Huh? Oh! You mean his laser rounds?" Ikki asked.

Metabee gave a look back at the two. "I can use my laser rounds, but those may not last long against this many of these things if there is a huge number of them."

Six looked down, trying to come up with a plan himself.

* * *

**Townsville**

"**_NO!_**" he roared.

Mojo Jojo laughed as his drill neared Bubbles.

Esebu's entire frame seemed to shift into overdrive as he ran for the Jojo Buster. He pressed down on the trigger for his weapon, revving it up as he thrust it forward to intercept the Drill Breaker. Mojo's laughter reached his audios and he let out a bellow of rage as he slammed his drill against the Jojo Buster's, using his mechanical strength to push back. Sparks flew from the impact point of the two weapons, grinding metal pressing against grinding metal.

Mojo was caught by surprise. "_WHAT!?_"

"No... one... is gonna die... on my watch!" the _Shinkalion_ yelled, pressing the trigger twice more, the Dust dispensers opening up, allowing a sparkling yellow powder to float out.

The Jojo Buster's head seemed to jerk back, the optic flashing as it retreated. "_Nice try, Esebu! But I, Mojo Jojo, will not fall for the same trick twice!_" the Mobian taunted.

Esebu's optics dimmed a shade as he hefted his drill. '_Okay. So if he is as smart as they say, then he'll have no doubt reinforced his machine against my Wheelset Bolt Driver,_' he thought. '_So that means I'll have to mix it up a bit._'

Behind him, he could hear Bubbles starting to blubber in terror, trying to forget she had nearly been gored in two. Had he been human, Esebu would've gritted his teeth. But as it stood, in his current state of being, he was limited in his facial expressions. However, his optics _did_ flare a brilliant yellow-green color. And the way his shoulders tensed indicated he was _pissed off!_

The blue and white train lunged, his drill revving up as he pressed the trigger once more. The yellow Dust still spilled from the dispensers on the sides of his weapon, and electricity began to surge along the drill's metallic surface. His Aura began to glow as he channeled its energy into his Wheelset Drill, becoming that blazing blue fire he knew all too well. A roar escaped his vocalizer as he leapt into the air as Mojo Jojo made to go for the girls once more. But Esebu was not about to let him get close to them to harm them.

He positioned his frame so he was diving down, his drill held in front of him, his Aura becoming a brilliant green color as the lightning Dust mixed in with it. Lightning danced across the Wheelset Drill, and Blossom's gasp reached his hearing. But Esebu brushed it aside as he slammed his drill into the ground, this time unleashing an electrical pulse on impact. "**_WHEELSET PULSE!_**" He felt his frame's sensors going haywire from the effects, but due to the shielding built into it, he could take it. As long as it held, of course.

On the other hand, the Jojo Buster staggered back from the sheer power of the pulse, its systems going haywire. "_What the Glob?!_" The external speakers crackled as his machine stumbled and tripped over its big metal feet.

Esebu pulled his drill out of the ground as the Jojo Buster landed on its back with a loud crash.

He panted as he dismissed his drill into storage.

"Esebu... that was... awesome!" Bubbles cheered, startling him. Esebu yelped in surprise before he turned to face her.

"You really gave Mojo a shock!" Blossom quipped with a giggle.

"I don't know about that," Esebu remarked, trying to keep from blushing. "I couldn't stand back and let him kill you girls." His fists clenched at the thought. "Especially since..." His voice trailed off as he wracked his processor, trying to think of what else to say.

"Since Buttercup is missing," Bubbles whispered, looking down as sadness filled her blue eyes.

Esebu felt a pang of sympathy in his chest at her expression. He couldn't summon up any words to say to her, so he just nodded instead.

"Had you not stepped in, we'd've been left in pieces," Blossom added.

"I don't even want to think about that," Esebu muttered, turning away from them. "Especially as how my creators saw a lot of that beforehand..."

"Huh?" Blossom tilted her head as she floated up to be level with his face. "Your creators? Your kind is capable of reproduction?"

Esebu gave a nod. "My creators were soldiers," he said, coming up with a lie on the spot. "They both were involved in heavy fighting, but once the civil war got too bad, they elected to be a part of the colonial ship that left their home world." He felt glad his friends had communicated the revised cover story to him a while ago so he could keep it consistent with theirs.

"A civil war?" Bubbles' eyes went wide and Blossom paled a bit.

The blue and white train nodded. "But they never told me much about it. They said it was too gruesome to recall," he explained.

The two heroines didn't know what to say at that.

Any further conversation was interrupted though as a groaning of metal reached their hearing and audios. Esebu spun around, his optics locking onto the form of the Jojo Buster as it staggered to its feet. Mojo Jojo's voice echoed over the external speakers as he pushed his machine to its feet. "_Damn you..._" he grunted.

Esebu didn't waste any time summoning his Wheelset Drill again as he got into a fighting stance. "You're still not going to stay down, are you?" he snarled.

Mojo cackled. "_It will take a lot more than some mere pulse to keep me down!_" he remarked.

He brandished his machine's Drill Breaker and, with a roar, he charged at the _Shinkalion_. Esebu gripped his drill and pressed the trigger, revving it up to full speed and thrust it forward at an angle, clashing his drill against Mojo's. The screeching of metal on metal hit his audios hard, but he muted them as low as he could and gave a hard shove before thrusting his drill towards the Jojo Buster's torso. Esebu shifted his stance and drove his drill into the hip joint of the Jojo Buster, earning a surprised screech from the Mobian villain.

He pulled his drill clear of the joint and drew back his free hand, swinging as hard as he could for the mech's head. His fist connected solidly with the right cheek and the Jojo Buster staggered back from the blow. Esebu dismissed his drill into storage as he lashed out with both hands, grabbing onto the Jojo Buster's right arm, and, shifting his position, slipped one leg behind the leg of the villain's machine. He gave a loud cry as he twisted his frame, performing a judo flip on Mojo Jojo! The two heroines were stunned by the move, only for Blossom and Bubbles to wince at the impact the mecha made on the ground. Esebu took the chance to grab onto the forearm of the Jojo Buster and he started to pull hard.

Metal screeched as he tugged, revving his treads in reverse and giving one more hard yank. The joint groaned in protest, but it didn't give. Blossom finally perked up as she realized what he was up to.

"Bubbles, you keep Mojo down! I'll help Esebu!" she cried.

"Right, Blossom!" Bubbles exclaimed.

Bubbles dashed forward in a flash of blue while a blur of pink indicated Blossom was on the move.

A cry escaped Bubbles as she delivered a nasty drop kick to the Jojo Buster's damaged hip joint, only for her to pull up and then fire her heat vision for the left arm of Mojo's mecha. "_Hey! What are you doing?! Stop that!_" he cried. But the blonde Powerpuff was not letting up.

Blossom took the chance to fly up to where Esebu was. He gave another tug and glanced back at her. "What?!" he barked.

"Need a hand?" she asked, gesturing to the forearm he was pulling on.

He didn't even respond as he tugged harder. He instead gestured with his helm. "Please."

She smirked as she flew over and focused her eyes on the joint before she let loose with her heat vision.

The beams hit the joint and began to melt the metallic structure.

Esebu gave a nod before he shifted his grip and held tighter. He gave a hard tug, revving his treads as fast as he could get them to go. A roar escaped his vocalizer as he pulled with all his might, ripping the forearm clean off with a loud tearing of molten metal.

He tossed the limb aside and then darted around as Bubbles flitted away, allowing him to come to the front of the machine. Esebu drove his metallic feet into the Jojo Buster's legs, pinning them as he slammed his elbow into the upper torso of the Jojo Buster. His free hand grabbed the Jojo Buster's head and he twisted it so he was looking directly into the single optic. "Now... Where did you get that weapon?!" he growled.

Blossom flew down, her eyes glowing red. "Yeah, Mojo! Spill!"

"_Ha! As if I would tell you! There is no way I would ever tell anyone, who is you, the secret of my newest weapon! For if I did, then you would be able to defeat me, Mojo Jojo!_" Mojo sneered.

Esebu flashed his optics in a blink, surprised. He shot a glance to Bubbles who floated up closer to his face. "Does he always do this?" he whispered.

"If you mean speak the way he does, then yeah. He does," Bubbles whispered back.

"_I heard that!_" Mojo spat.

"Just spill! Where did you get that weapon?!" Blossom snarled, her eyes glowing brighter as she prepared to unleash her heat vision.

However, before anyone could make a move, the upper body of the Jojo Buster seemed to shift and Esebu looked down, only to cry out as something smashed into his chest, sending him flying back a ways. He landed flat on his back, the wind knocked from his intakes. The _Shinkalion_ groaned as he pushed himself into a sitting position as he spotted the single escape pod flying away.

"Hey! GET BACK HERE!" he bellowed. He scrambled to his feet and gave chase, followed closely by the Powerpuff Girls.

"Let's get him, Bubbles!" Blossom shouted.

"Right behind you!" Bubbles chirped.

The trio pursued Mojo's escape pod, Esebu's long strides letting him keep pace with the two heroines. His optics flashed in determination as he prepared to summon his Wheelset Drill.

But Mojo's pod was getting farther ahead of them. As if to mock them, his voice echoed over its external speakers. "_HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Farewell, fools! For I, Mojo Jojo, will be back! And not even my prisoners will be able to escape this one!_" he cackled as the pod sailed away towards the volcano in the middle of the town's park.

Esebu perked up and he suddenly skidded to a stop. "Wait... Did he just say..."

Blossom and Bubbles slammed on the brakes and came to a hover in midair as they glanced back in Esebu's direction. Their eyes were wide in shock and horror.

The last word escaped all three at the exact same time. "_Prisoners?!_"

* * *

**London**

Mackenzie Samantha Allen and Cagalli Yula Zala-Attha made their way throughout the city, keeping an eye out for the famed Radcliffe Estate. The two women, one a former leader and the other a current ruler, were on a mission to find out what they could about high society in this universe, and it was to be a mission of the utmost importance.

The older of the two Naturals was wearing her flight suit while the ORB queen was trying on her green dress. Cagalli gave a bit of a grimace as she looked at herself in the mirror of the changing room of the department store they were using. "I know I'm used to wearing dresses, but never one this... sparkly..." Sure enough, said green dress was sparkling a bit due to the sequins on it, and she even wore a masquerade ball mask to cover up her face to an extent.

Mackenzie gave a grin. "Good thing I have that red dress I've wanted to wear for some time~!"

"Says the one who wears a suit whenever she gets the chance!" Cagalli shot back as Mackenzie laughed.

* * *

**Unknown Location**

Wing Saber, Arcee, and Springer were making their way towards where Oregon was, not that they knew the location of the _Ark_ was there for sure.

Springer was unsure if Wing Saber was truly there to help, but he _had_ proven to be of a help in the past.

The trio of Cybertronians were not sure where to start looking next, as it had been a while since they had left the old mining town.

Wing Saber finally landed and transformed back to his robot mode, stretching his arms above his head as he soon as he was back in his humanoid form. "After flying for hours, it feels good to be back on the ground."

"You _like_ being on the ground?" Springer asked as he looked at the mech in confusion.

"Hey, just because I can fly, it doesn't mean I don't want to _ever_ be on the ground." Wing Saber retorted as he looked around the area. Then, he paused in his observations of the geographic area, as if he had sensed something or picked up something on his radar.

Arcee looked at Wing Saber in confusion. "Is something wrong, Wing Saber?"

"No... Nothing's wrong..." Wing Saber said, but his optics were flicking around slightly, as if looking for something.

Springer snorted. "The way you're looking around says otherwise."

"Look, I'm just being cautious!" Wing Saber retorted as he finally had his gaze land on a spot some distance away. _'Odd... I _know_ I picked up _her_ signature... but is it possible she snuck along on the _Arc_? I'm certain she was left behind back home, on another mission...'_

Springer eyed the spot Wing Saber was looking at before a sudden screech made the threesome look up. "Aw, no... Not now..." Wing Saber groaned. "Not another one of those things..."

Arcee looked back at her mission commander. "What was that?"

Wing Saber lowered his head slightly, but kept his optics on the horizon above. "A Grimm..."

"What kind?" Springer asked as he hefted his sword.

"I don't know… But we can't take a chance if it is a powerful one." Wing Saber replied.

"You mean like that Goliath thing?" Arcee asked.

Wing Saber gave a grim nod, no pun intended.

Springer snorted. As a Wrecker, he was more than willing to take it on himself, but if what Wing Saber had done to that Goliath thing was any indication, his skills as a Wrecker wouldn't cut it if this new Grimm was of the same caliber in power as that one they had faced prior.

Just then, Springer's optics landed on a large, almost avian, form that was coming at them. "Heads up! Large avian form incoming!"

Wing Saber's optics zoomed in on the form and he swore under his breath. "That's a Grimm alright... and it's a large one from what it looks like."

Springer looked unsure of if he could handle that fight, but he was only one of two mechs who could fly right now, and he would possibly be needed in the air to back up Wing Saber. "You think we can beat it?"

"Just because we, and by that I mean _I_, beat one Grimm, it doesn't mean this one will be of the same caliber." Wing Saber replied seriously. "We could have gotten lucky for all we know."

Springer shuddered at the thought of that. The Grimm flew down lower, only to release sharp feather-like protrusions at the threesome below.

"SCATTER!" Wing Saber shouted as he got out his twin blades while Springer spun his sword in a defensive move. Wing Saber began to deflect the sharp feathers away from his own person with his blades while he backed up towards Arcee as Springer moved away from the duo.

Arcee was practically defenseless against this thing, which was why Wing Saber was moving towards her to defend her from the sharp spear-like feathers. Wing Saber swung his right sword upwards, deflecting one feather before he used his left sword to swing down, deflecting yet another feather. He then swung his right sword to the right and deflected two more feathers before he swung his left sword to the left, taking out three more feathers. Then he swung his swords to the opposite directions, right sword to the left and left sword to the right, making them criss-cross in an X-formation before swinging both blades apart, deflecting four feathers from impacting him or Arcee.

Springer meanwhile, was spinning his sword around in his hand between his fingers to deflect the feathers away from his own person. Glancing back at Wing Saber, the Wrecker was surprised by how good the flying mech's swordsmanship seemed to be. Springer forced the impressive sight from his processor at the moment to focus on his own predicament.

Wing Saber and Arcee were slowly backing up, as was Springer; the distance between the two sides was getting greater and greater with each step, which was what Springer felt the Grimm was intent on.

Arcee felt her ped slip from behind her and pulled it back forwards before glancing back behind her. She could see a ravine behind her and Wing Saber, with rushing rapids below inside it. "We're trapped!"

WinG Saber glanced back himself, only to see Arcee was right. They were stuck at the edge of a gaping ravine or canyon, and the Grimm was continuing its assault on them. "Damn it! We can't go back, and we can't go forwards either!" He hissed between his dental plating. "And trying to escape in the sky is out because that thing will just try to shoot us down with those feathers!"

"Then... we're doomed?!" Arcee whimpered.

Wing Saber hissed through his vents again before his sensors picked up that familiar energy signature again. It was right behind the Grimm, and coming in _fast_. He looked back at Arcee and shoved her to the ground, _away_ from the canyon, before pushing off the ground towards the Grimm himself. The energy signature behind the Grimm was now almost within range for an attack itself. Wing Saber then called out to the energy signature. "I go low!"

"And I go high!" A feminine voice called out from nowhere. The sound of engines, more like thrusters, hit Wing Saber's audios and he knew what to do. The large Grimm screeched as it tried to fly around to attack the source of energy that was behind it. but it was too late. A _powerful_ energy was coming from behind, and Wing Saber knew what it was.

_"CYBER KEY POWER!"_ The sky seemed to warp above them, making Springer and Arcee look up in confusion, awe, and horror. A small spark of light came from the warp in the sky, and seemed to slam into something that was invisible. It flashed, the outline of a blue chip of some kind appearing on the screen, bearing the outline of a sun rising on a planet, both in silver. Then, the feminine voice spoke up again. _"CROSS-BOLT BARRAGE!"_

A large barrage of laser bolts came down on the Grimm's back, sending it to the ground, screeching as it did so. Seeing this, Wing Saber took his own chance to attack, calling upon his own special boost of power.

_"CYBER KEY POWER!"_ The same warping happened again, as another chip came from the sky. It slammed into Wing Saber's cockpit, located on his back. The image of a white chip with the red Autobot symbol on it appeared on the screen before fading. Wing Saber's cockpit flipped up over his head and opened to reveal dual cannons inside. The cannon's charged up before he also aimed his entire arsenal again and let loose with _ALL_ of his laser-based firepower, including the cannons from his cockpit. _"SABER BLITZ!"_ The laser blasts impacted the Grimm before Wing Saber flew in from the smoke, twin blades out. He slashed with the twin blades across the Grimm's chest, causing massive gashes that had smoke rising from them like no tomorrow. Seeing this, Springer dashed in and drew his own sword back. He cried out before his blade made impact with the Grimm's face, slashing down it like a knife through butter. The Grimm cried out one last time before fading into nothing.

Wing Saber landed before looking back at an empty space. He smirked at the space. "It's been a while hasn't it..." His smirk grew as the form he was speaking to began to become visible. "... Ghostie?"

The form, which was now revealing itself to be a femme, huffed. "I _still_ don't know why you insist on calling me that!"

"Hey, you can become invisible, what did you expect me to call you?" Wing Saber teased with a shrug.

Springer gaped at the femme as she became fully visible. His optics were wide before they became heart-shaped. "Whoa... momma..." He breathed. This femme was _hot!_ She was mostly dark grey with black lower arms and lower legs, while the rest of her body, including her torso, was dark grey. She had a red Autobot symbol on her chest plating as well. Her helm was also dark grey, and she had a white face with amber-colored optics. She appeared able to hide this behind a black visor and dark grey mouth plate too. Springer eyed her curves, making himself feel aroused by her presence alone.

He made his way over to the duo, putting an arrogant smirk on his facial plating and he put an arm on Wing Saber's head, making the slightly shorter mech exclaim something in protest. "Hey, babe... What's a hot thing like you doing on this planet? Looking for someone to be your... protection? Because I can suffice easily."

Wing Saber inched out from under Springer's arm and frowned at the remarks Springer was making towards his friend and mission partner. He could also feel a twinge of jealousy in his spark at that, but he didn't know why.

The femme looked at Springer, only to walk up to him and Wing Saber. As she got closer, Springer found he was having to tilt his helm _up_ to actually look into her optics instead of the other way around. She was a towering femme, and imposing as well. She looked down at him, a frown on her beautiful facial plating. "What did you just say to me?" She asked in a sort of sultry, yet also cold, tone.

Springer suddenly felt like he was messing with the wrong femme. "Um... I just asked you if you wanted protection?"

Wing Saber gave a cringe at that remarked question. _'Ooookay… bad thing to say to her...'_ He thought. He remembered what happened to the _last_ mech who had asked that very question to her; that mech had wound up missing his legs and part of his left hand as a result. _'Not to mention that mech had tried to get her kicked out of the Autobot Armed Forces...'_

The femme narrowed her amber optics at Springer's remark/question. "I thought that's what you asked." She growled out before she turned and walked off before turning back and aiming something on one of her arms at Springer.

Springer wondered what she was up to, but Wing Saber, wisely, stepped back and out of the firing range. Springer was then hit with something hard and metal, right on the helm. The Wrecker yelped as the thing then retracted back into the femme's arm. "What _was_ that?!" Springer exclaimed.

"My anchors." The femme replied.

Wing Saber smirked wickedly at the femme. "You still have that aim, eh Shroud? How is it that you can hit someone with your alt-mode's anchors and yet you can't hit the broadside of Unicron's ass with your Cross-Bolt?"

The femme, now revealed to be called Shroud, glared at Wing Saber. "I don't _have_ to remain here, you know, you cocky upstart fly-boy."

"C'mon... you know you missed me~!" Wing Saber purred as he poked Shroud.

"No, I didn't miss you." Shroud retorted, but Wing Saber could tell she was happy to see him anyway, as the remark lacked its usual bite she gave it when addressing other mechs.

Arcee looked at Shroud before glancing back at Wing Saber. "You two know each other?"

"Yep!" Wing Saber chirped with a grin. "This is Shroud, one of my closest friends, and my mission partner when we have to go on missions away from the planet."

Springer looked at Wing Saber. "Why didn't you mention you knew such a hottie?! She's a dead-ringer and drop-dead gorgeous! I know _I_ would want to do her!"

Wing Saber's grin faded as it became a scowl. "You know what happened to the last mech who wanted to do that to her?" His voice took on an icy tone to it, sending shivers down Springer's back struts. "The last time a mech wanted to get it on with her, he wound up having to have a total frame replacement, courtesy of _me_!"

"Wait... What?! Why?!" Springer asked in shock.

Wing Saber squared his shoulders and made his way to Springer, looking right at his optics. Green met blue, but there was a blazing glare in those green optics meeting Springer's own cool blue ones. "Shroud is _not_ some mech's one-night stand. I take _any_ suggestions like the one you made towards her _very_ seriously. And do you know why?" Wing Saber hissed. "It's because she is more than just a femme who happens to be a friend to me. _No_ mech wants to be assigned to her as a partner for a mission because of her cold and calculating personality, so that leaves only me as her mission partner! She was bullied in the Academy when she was there because she was the smallest of the attendees, not to mention one of the youngest there at the time! It was during that time that many mechs wanted to go after her, not only because she was pretty, but because she was young as well! I was the only mech who didn't want to do that to her, so that made her come to me for help when a mech wanted to have his way with her! Sure, it gave me a reputation as a bit of a rebel and an instigator of fights, but do I regret it? No! I don't! That mech, the one who had to gain a total frame replacement? He made the mistake of dismissing my warning to leave Shroud alone, thinking I was just being the usual rule-breaker I am known to be! Too bad for him he didn't realize that I had good reasons to break the rules that time!"

Springer gaped at Wing Saber's words to him. "I... Ah... I... I'm... sorry..."

"Look, Shroud and I go way back, which means I will do _anything_ to make sure she is okay." Wing Saber said, albeit much more calmly now. "Just... don't push it with her, and we won't have a problem. You don't try anything with her, and you won't have any problems from me."

With that, Wing Saber turned away from Springer and walked towards Shroud's side.

* * *

**GrimmFall**

Akira was in his room at the Hall of Heroes, looking up at the ceiling. He was aware of something going on, but as to what it was, he had no idea. Major Glory had been gone for some time with a blonde-haired girl, one whom had been chosen as his sidekick, or apprentice rather. Akira had to admit, the man had good intentions with refusing to call the girl, Dee-Dee, his sidekick. _'At least Major Glory can see that others should be considered his equal...'_ Akira mused to himself.

Just then, Akira's laptop beeped, making him look at it before sitting up from his bed and grabbing it. He opened the laptop, only to see a communications screen flashing. Akira pressed the command to open the screen, and was met with the video image of his superior's face.

_"How is the mission going?"_ Heero asked as Akira sighed.

"As well as one could hope." He replied. "I managed to get lots of data, but... I can't seem to get anything on the more important stuff. I mean, sure, I got data on the displaced individuals, but that we can't do much with. The more important data files, like information on Satyra's biggest supporters and what not, is all stored in a secure server that I can't get access to... Okay, so I _could_ get access to it, but that would reflect badly on us, not that we need another reminder of the precarious situation we are currently in..."

Heero's image frowned. _"You are putting our mission at risk by not getting those files."_

"I _know_ that!" Akira shot back. "But would you rather I got the files and we were seen as bad guys, or would you rather I got the information we need in a more legal manner?"

Heero sighed as he pinched between his eyes. _"If you remain there much longer, we risk ourselves being put in even more danger. It's bad enough I had to reveal Wing Zero to get rid of that frozen wave that hung over the city, but that could be used more effectively because the sheer power is imposing enough on its own. But I can't allow any of my unit's members to be put at even greater risk now that we have begun to reveal ourselves."_

Akira knew what Heero was getting at; if he remained at the Hall of Heroes too long, there was a risk of getting captured by some unknown enemy or any other unsavory forces that looked to get back at the Justice Friends.

"Yeah, I know. I will wait a few more weeks before I have to come back. Flay will join me when I get back." Akira assured his superior officer.

_"Hn... See to it that you do."_ Heero said before the com-link went dead and his image winked out.

Akira closed his laptop and sighed as he put his head in his hands. _'Ugh... of all the times... I need a vacation from this after a while...'_

That thought aside, the Coordinator knew he had a dilemma on his hands. _'Just_ how_ am I going to get my hands on that secure data?! I mean, it's not like I can just walk up to a member of the Justice Friends and ask for access to it, right? That would seem too suspicious.'_ Akira suddenly perked up as an idea crossed his mind. _'Wait... What if I _could_? I could ask for access to that secure server, but use the excuse that I need to see if the firewalls need to be reinforced! Okay... I _could_ bolster their cyber defenses as well since that is what I am here to do, but I could also get the data we need too. Well, at least, record it anyways. I won't _take_ it or copy it, so this way they won't be any wiser to my mission here.'_

A smirk crossed his face as he stood up, grabbing his laptop and making sure his blue contact lenses were in before he left his room.

* * *

**Constitution**

On the ship in GrimmFall Park, Heero was looking over the news feeds from the SkyWeb. So far, things seemed to be calm with no real big issues coming to the forefront, at least for now anyway. _'Major Glory went on a mission with his new apprentice, and both Cagalli and General Allen are on the mission to London. The _Steelhaven_ has returned to our dimension while Saber Convoy's ship is back in Earth Orbit after a failed attempt at communications with some unknown ships. Akira and Flay have their mission to finish up, which should be in a few weeks, barring any other incidents that may force them to extend it. And as for the rest of us... the news media is on and on about my appearance with Wing Zero and its firepower, not that they have much information on it to begin with.'_

Heero was more than aware that Sammael would have found out about Wing Zero and its firepower by now thanks to the news media, but something told him to not make another appearance with his machine for a while longer.

Leaning back in his seat, Heero turned as Cree came into his office. "What brings you here, Cree?"

"It's about what the news media is going on about..." Cree began before Heero held up a hand to stop her from going any further.

"If you mean my appearance with my machine, then yes, I am aware of it." Heero explained. "And I am more than aware that Sammael may know of it because of the news media."

Cree frowned. "And what are you going to do about it?"

"What _can_ we do?" Heero countered. "All I did was remove that frozen wave, which would have caused large amounts of damage if it had fallen or even collapsed. No buildings were harmed, no civilians, Huntsmen, Huntresses, or even heroes were caught in the crossfire of the beams, and the wave was eliminated with ease. How can Sammael make a claim of us being instigators of any sort if we never directly attacked the city?"

Cree had to admit, that _was_ a logical point to make. "You may be right, but he could always make a claim of you trying to win over the trust of the city before turning against them."

"And who would believe the biggest bad who is the most evil person to exist?" Heero retorted.

"Everyone has a human side to them, even Sammael." Cree pointed out.

Heero frowned at that retort. "You make him out to be some kind of god."

"He may as well be." Cree said with a shrug and a sigh.

"Every being can be defeated, even a god." Heero countered. "The latter may not be able to be physically defeated, but they _can_ be defeated if done right. One just has to use unorthodox methods to win when fighting a god."

Cree looked back up at Heero. "Have you ever _fought_ a god?"

Heero smirked wryly. "We may not have fought a god in the traditional sense, but we _did_ fight something that was considered the equivalent. An evil planet-sized Transformer called Unicron. Said entity is considered a god. We were able to destroy him, albeit not without great difficulty."

Cree snorted. "That's a giant robot. I'm talking about a being that can't even _die_!"

Heero sighed. "There is a way. It just hasn't shown itself yet, I'm sure."

Cree sighed in exasperation. "Sammael is going to find out about you and your technology, and you aren't even worried!"

"Trust me, I'm definitely worried." Heero revealed at last. "I just don't let it hold me back. Should worse come to worse, we are more than prepared to just head back home and activate our dimensional jamming technology to full power."

"Sammael could find a way through it." Cree tried to counter.

"Yes, but only after millennia of trial and error." Heero countered. "This is _dimensional_ jamming, meaning that _dimensional_ wavelengths are scrambled. Trying to get through a dimension's scrambled wavelength is like trying to thread a needle with fishing line in the dark while in heavy rain and blustering winds."

Cree frowned at this. "Have you even tested it?"

"We are _constantly_ testing the dimensional jamming technology." Heero revealed with a smirk. "And each time, the difficulty remains the same."

The fox Faunus frowned again. "You have yet to really meet a true test for it though."

Heero frowned as well at that remark. He looked down. He knew she was right. The dimensional jamming technology was still in its infancy, so it had yet to be truly tested. _'I just hope that when Sammael_ does_ manage to get wind of our tech, it can hold him off.'_ As much as he hated to admit it, Cree had a point. This was to be the biggest test for their dimensional jamming technology. He just hoped it could live up to the expectations he had for it.

* * *

** Metabee, Ikki, Rex, and Six are dealing with human butts that are attacking them while Esebu fights Mojo Jojo in Townsville. Meanwhile Arcee, Springer, and Wing Saber meet an old friend/teammate of Wing Saber's as Heero and Zero Squadron ponder what to do next. What happens next? Read on to find out~! :3 Don't forget to read and review! ^^**


	20. Tale of Two Heights IX

**Here is another chapter~! :3**

**GCD: Mojo never can keep his yap shut! XD**

**DN Works: Thanks! :3**

**merendinoemiliano: Thanks! :3 I plan to use the Cyber Keys more so expect more of that to come! :D**

**nightmaster000: You will see soon. You never know what I have planned~! :3**

**Lord Maximus: Thanks! :D**

**Titanic X: Glad you like it. :)**

**Guest: You will see, if I get that far... ^^'**

**Note: If any readers have an account, then please review using your account please. If you are too lazy to log in, then at least leave your account name so I can know who you are. If any reader does not have an account, then **_PLEASE_** use a **consistent - i.e. THE SAME** name when reviewing, **_not_** the usual 'Guest', so I can respond in a more personal manner, as the name 'Guest' does not seem too personable to me.**

_***"Cybertronian"***_

* * *

**_File 15: Time Travel_**

_In most movies, time travel is considered to be a very dangerous thing. Most movies and shows involving time travel warn about changing anything in the past, lest the future be changed irreparably._

**_File 16: Meda-Sync_**

_The term Meda-Sync comes from the state when a Medabot and Meda-fighter completely Synchronize. This is signified by a glowing aura of a random color surrounding each of them, the two auras being the same color. In this state, the Meda-fighter has either their right or left eye iris turn the same color as their partner Medabot's optics. For Erika, her right iris turns pink to match Brass's optic color while Ikki's left iris turns green to match Metabee's optic color._

_Depending on the Medabot's specialization and type, the glow of the Meda-Force can range from blue to a bright white. Brass's Meda-Force color is pink, meaning it is on the lower end of the power spectrum while Rokusho's Meda-Force color is blue, signifying it is on the higher end. Metabee's Meda-Force color is gold, meaning it is of a higher power tier than Rokusho's, but due to Metabee's Medal being a Synchro Medal, he still has a ways to go to match Rokusho's power output per use._

* * *

**Townsville**

The trio was now concerned.

Esebu glanced back at the large volcano looming over the city's main park, looking like a large primeval sentinel.

He clenched his metallic fists and hissed through his vents. "Bastard...!" he growled.

"I knew Mojo was one to sink to low methods sometimes, but this..." Bubbles shuddered and Blossom placed a hand on her shoulder.

"It's okay, Bubbles. We'll figure out a way to save them," she reassured her sister.

Esebu nodded. "You got that right," he remarked.

The two heroines looked to him as he stood up straight. "But something's bugging me."

"What could be bothering you?" Blossom asked.

"His prisoners." Esebu directed his gaze to the large observatory atop the volcano. "And that Drill Breaker." His optics flashed once. "I think that _maybe_ one of his prisoners has a weapon similar to it."

Blossom and Bubbles glanced at one another in shock before returning their gazes to him. "You're sure about that?" Blossom asked, clearly skeptical. "Because it seems to be a bit of a stretch."

"I'll admit it is, but I'm keeping my mind open on this," Esebu clarified. "Maybe you're right, or maybe I'm right, who knows? Regardless, we'll know for sure when we get in and try to rescue them." He directed his yellow-green gaze at the two heroines hovering in the air beside him. "That should be our priority."

Blossom pursed her lips as she turned in midair to gaze at the volcano. "But the only question is... where would he have them?"

Bubbles shivered as she hovered closer to Esebu, about ready to plop herself down on his shoulder. "Should we even do this?" she whispered. "I mean without Buttercup..." A whimper escaped her as she buried her face in her hands.

Esebu's posture softened a little as he gazed at her with concern in his optics. Blossom, meanwhile, nodded solemnly. "Yeah... that is the problem..." she muttered.

The blue and white train took the chance to address the two. "That _is_ an issue," he remarked. "But that very same issue is why my superiors sent me here." Both heroines spun to look at him in shock. "To provide support until Buttercup is found."

"Your... superiors sent you here?" Blossom asked, a bit stunned before realization struck. "Then that means there are more of you!"

Esebu didn't respond to the comment. Instead, he turned his gaze to the volcano top observatory. "We can discuss that later," he stated. "We have to focus on getting those prisoners free before Mojo can try anything else with them." His shoulders tensed and he clenched his fists tighter. "And none of the thoughts I'm getting about them are good..."

His voice was dark as he said this, and the mere tone of his voice sent shivers down the spines of the two girls. Blossom's eyes became pink shards of glass and Bubbles just about paled until she was as white as snow.

"Then let's move!" Blossom exclaimed.

The _Shinkalion_ and Bubbles both nodded as one.

Bubbles and Blossom became mere streaks of pink and blue while Esebu broke into a full-on sprint, relying on his larger strides to keep pace.

* * *

Within his mountaintop lair, Mojo Jojo's escape pod landed, the roof closing up as the pod touched down, its engines whining to a halt.

The cockpit cover slid off and Mojo Jojo came out, his pilot suit smoldering from the fire that he had just hurriedly put out before touchdown. He reached up and removed his helmet, his big brain temporarily exposed before he jammed his standard helmet on over it. He turned and walked over to his locker, stripping off his pilot suit and then throwing on his usual outfit, the purple cape billowing out menacingly as he reattached it to his shoulders.

Once he was dressed, he stormed over to the cells where he had his three captives.

Two of them were robots, and the third was a human girl. He wasn't as interested in the girl as he was the machines, but the fact that the female robot and the girl seemed to have some kind of a bond is what led to him keeping her around. The cells were somewhat spartan, but they did contain a separate bathroom in case they had to go. He was a villain, yes, but he was not heartless like some others.

The chimpanzee Mobian grunted as he walked over to the trio of prisoners.

"Ooh, too bad," the girl smirked. "Looks like your so-called wonder weapon failed to defeat your opponents."

"That is because I underestimated them," he stated. "But that will not happen next time, for I, Mojo Jojo, will have a better plan, a better weapon, and a better invention to take them down!"

The girl rolled her eyes before turning back to the books he had given her to keep her quiet.

Once she was lost in the story, he walked over and, disengaging the locks on the male robot's cell, he reached in with surprising reflexes and pulled out the robot by his arm. His red optics pulsed in surprise and he tried to tug his arm free, but the Mobian villain was not about to let him go. He pulled the robot out of the cell and closed the cage, earning the surprise of the two females. The girl was on her feet in a flash, and the female robot was punching at the energy door to try and break it. But Mojo was not having it. He pressed a second button on the wall and the energy cell doors increased in heat output, forcing the two females to back away, lest they get burned by it.

Satisfied, he turned and hauled the male robot off to his engineering lab.

"Now... We're going to have another talk..." he muttered, "...about your weapons and abilities... And no tricks!"

The blue-grey robot gulped nervously.

* * *

Out in the park, the two heroines arrived first. People were surprised to see them and some even waved.

But this was not for a mere visit. Oh, no.

This was a rescue mission.

Blossom and Bubbles wisely avoided interacting with the crowds as they sped overhead, which gave Esebu some sense of relief. That meant they were focused. The blue and white train bolted past, startling people with just his mere presence. Already he could sense parkgoers pulling out their phones and snapping images of him or scanning the SkyWeb for evidence of his existence. A few even dared to try and step closer, but the _Shinkalion_ leader avoided them lest he step on them. And that alone was enough to make him grimace in his thoughts.

The two heroines swooped up, leaving gleaming trails of light behind them as he approached the volcano itself.

Esebu skidded to a stop as he glanced up, eyeing the two specks of light as they neared the observatory.

He didn't even hesitate. He crouched and, with a grunt, sprang up as high as he could, using his Aura to bolster his legs' hydraulics. He lashed out a metallic hand and his strong metal fingers drove themselves into a gap in the side of the mountain. Esebu hung there for a moment before he grabbed on with his other hand, and after a bit of poking, stuck his feet into the side as well.

While his frame may not have been designed with agility and maneuverability in mind, he was still a decent climber. He scrambled up the side of the active volcano, a small tinge of worry filling his processor. What if the thing blew its top, literally? With all the people and buildings surrounding it, it was a recipe for disaster. And that was the last thing he wanted to have to be involved with. Regardless, he forced those thoughts aside and kept following the Powerpuffs.

Blossom came down a few minutes later, hovering close to him as he came to a stop below the observatory itself. The top of the volcano was missing, exposing the lava and giving the underside of the building an eerie red glow. Esebu could feel the heat coming off the lava and he pulled back, his paint blistering slightly. "Dammit...! There's no way I can get in!" he growled.

"That's a problem then," Blossom muttered. She eyed him directly and he squirmed a bit under her gaze. "I did some scouting, and he _does_ have prisoners."

"Any idea as to who they are?" the train asked.

The red-haired heroine nodded. "Yes." She hovered back a bit to give him some breathing room. "One of them is a young girl, and the other appears to be a small humanoid robot of sorts. It looks to be female in design and color."

Esebu felt his engine hitch in his chest. '_A robot?! Then..._' His thoughts trailed off as he tried to think. This was bad news. If Mojo had a robot as a prisoner, then there was a chance he could've reprogrammed it, or her, in this case. But that didn't explain the Drill Breaker...

His thoughts were interrupted by Bubbles coming back, with wide, fearful eyes. "I saw Mojo with one of the prisoners!" she exclaimed, trying to keep from shouting. "He... He's _hurting him!_"

Esebu's engine seemed to plummet to the ground many meters below. "How so!?" he asked, his optics flashing dangerously.

Bubbles couldn't speak. She only whimpered and Esebu looked down. It seemed he'd have to find out on his own. He looked up, his optics locking onto the location Bubbles had just come from. He slowly began to make his way around the lip of the volcano, clinging to it much like the famous Mobian superhero, Spider-Boy. He had to move slowly so as to not dislodge any rocks or even alert Mojo to their presence, if he even had any sensors down here. That alone was enough to keep him on edge. He wisely scanned all around him using his sensors and scanners, but no sensors were present beneath the observatory. '_Probably because of the lava in the volcano itself,_' the blue and white _Shinkalion_ thought to himself.

He finally came to a stop at the very spot where Bubbles had come from. But how was he to peer inside and remain undetected at the same time?

Esebu grunted as he finally decided to take a chance.

He inched closer to the spot and slowly pulled himself up a bit higher, climbing up just enough to spot several windows. He paused for a moment, trying to figure out how to poke his head up without being spotted.

Then he heard it.

A loud scream.

That was enough to spur the _Shinkalion_ into action. Without wasting a second more, he tensed his frame and scrambled up a bit higher, his thick metal fingers driving themselves into the side of the observatory's massive metal leg. He poked his head up enough so he could see through the window closest to him, and his engine skipped in its humming.

Mojo Jojo had a _second_ robot as his final prisoner! And judging from the way this one was writhing from whatever Mojo was doing to it, it seemed like that he was trying to reprogram it. Or something else. Well, whatever he was doing, it had to stop!

He drew back his fist.

* * *

**GrimmFall**

Athrun was in shock as he looked at the tampered with dimensional drive. The Energon crystals were missing, but what was even worse was the obvious battle that took place there. Or he assumed it was a battle anyway. Sai, who was behind Athrun, gaped at the state of the Jump-Slip Drive. "Oh no... Someone stole the Energon Crystals!"

"I want a count and report of _all_ components of the Jump-Slip Drive, **_NOW!_**" Athrun barked to the crew. "We _need_ those components!"

"Yes, sir!" The crew replied.

Athrun groaned at the sudden turn of events. He knew the ship carried back-ups of certain components, if not all of them, but replacing said components to be used in place of the stolen ones would take weeks if not months. A heavy, exasperated sigh escaped him as he leaned against the wall, his hand on his head. In fact, he didn't even realize three certain individuals were missing until Nicol spoke up. "Um... Where are Heero, Cree, and Leo?"

The burst of swearing, both in translated Cybertronian _and_ English, was enough to make even the normally hot-headed Yzak Joule jump.

* * *

In the main bridge, the main screen was showing the incident in the engine room. Athrun had a scowl on his face, which was never a good sign, as he tended to be one of the more calm and level-headed pilots.

Sure enough, on the screen, it showed a man who had appeared in the room and locked the door, only to begin taking apart the drive. The Energon Crystals were removed, and Athrun frowned some more. "Pause the video."

The video was paused, which showed the man trying to remove components of the drive. "Why pause it here?" Tao asked as she looked back at Athrun.

"This video could be used to determine what components are missing." Athrun replied sternly.

Tao nodded, feeling a bit nervous around Athrun now. This was not like the normally calm sub-commander.

"Resume the video." Athrun instructed. The video began to play again.

The door was then shown being busted open by Cree and Leonardo. Heero was on their heels. However, what happened shocked the team next. The odd man escaped through a white portal, only for Cree to grab Heero and Leo, pulling them into the portal. But as the man escaped, two people appeared on the man's back, grabbing at what looked to be a cane on his back.

This made Athrun's teeth grit in anger. He hated to admit it, but it seemed Cree had somehow dragged their best pilot away from them. _'Was this planned? Or was it an accident...? That we need to figure out.'_

Vice-Admiral Lunamaria Hawke, soon-to-be-Yuy, looked upset at what she had witnessed. Her fiancée had been dragged into a white portal to who knew where, and there seemed to be a good chance their ship would be stuck here for a long while yet.

Closing his green eyes, Athrun's fists clenched tightly. He knew that, according to the chain of command, Luna was next in command, but, given how upset she looked, it would be up to the sub-commanders to take over for now.

Opening his eyes, Athrun looked at Kira and Tao. Both Coordinators each gave a solemn nod. They knew what they had to do.

As soon as that message was given, Athrun turned to face the remainder of Zero Squadron. "Okay, listen up. It's obvious we can't keep relying on being in the shadows any longer. People _are_ becoming aware of us. If we are to take any further actions, we need to get on the good graces of this universe's best people." He then lowered his head slightly. "And the first person to start with is Mayor Sebben."

"Hold on!" Yzak spoke up. "Are you _insane_, Zala?!"

"This was a _deliberate attack_ on our ship, Rear Admiral Joule!" Athrun snapped back. "And because of it, we could have lost not just our commanding officer and friend, but also our _best pilot!_" Athrun then sighed. "I know it goes against Heero's orders, but he is not here right now, and as such, because Luna is upset, the sub-commanders have taken command. And you know if we sub-commanders agree on anything, then Heero's orders are overridden."

Yzak scowled. "But is this the right thing to do?" He pressed.

Athrun paused for a moment before he closed his eyes and then looked back up at Yzak. He was not sure how he knew, but he had the feeling this _had_ to be done. "Yes." Athrun replied, his tone hard as steel. The sheer emotion and near emotionless tone in it unnerved the normally hot-blooded pilot and he shivered slightly.

"Y-yes, sir..." Yzak stammered out.

Athrun turned and looked back at the rest of the crew. "Normally President Allen would be a good choice to send, but given how she is on a mission with Cagalli, I have to choose another member of the unit to send. While it would normally be someone like myself, in this case, I will send Rear-Admiral Joule, as he actually _served_ on the former PLANT Supreme Council, even if it was for just a brief time."

Yzak was floored. He, one of the most hot-headed pilots of this crazy unit, was being chosen to go meet with a very prominent figure?! "A-are you crazy?!"

"No, Yzak." Athrun replied. "You were not just a commander, but also served in politics for a short time. If anything, you _have_ to do this." Athrun's eyes held that resolve that had become so common to the unit's members when something happened to one of them. "Mayor Sebben may be the only one who can find us those who can help us get Heero back alive, along with Leo and Cree."

Looking down, Yzak could see the bigger picture. It was obvious Mayor Sebben was _very_ well connected, so if anyone could help them, it was him.

Yzak looked back up at Athrun. "When do I leave?"

Athrun smirked at the response.

* * *

**CE 4444**

Heero was at a complete loss. He had never expected to be thrown back in time. Time travel was... supposed to be impossible... wasn't it? He had his head down in thought, but his mind was racing. _'How did... Who was... that man... we were... sent back in time with...?'_

As much as he hated to admit it, the Admiral was completely unnerved... no... he was _scared_ of what was going on. Heero could feel himself shaking, and he didn't show fear very often. He was without his team, without his machine, and he was almost alone, emphasis on '_almost'_. He still had Leo, but it was fair to say he wasn't exactly trusting of the Mobian fully yet.

Sighing, Heero realized he would either have to go back to his old ways of working alone, or he could find a way to work together with this odd team and find a way home. His old mindset was telling him he would have better success when working alone, but his more rational mindset, his _real_ mindset, was telling him that working with these others would have better results, and he was more inclinded to agree with that line of thought.

Heero clenched a fist. He could have gone SEED to help against the Grimm, but... He had no Aura or even Semblance! All he could do was rely on his training and fight against the more living beings! _'I was so useless back there!'_ He thought in dismay.

Leo looked at Heero, who had been silent the whole time. "Is something wrong?"

"I was useless back there against those Grimm." Heero admitted at last.

"You saved me from being cut to pieces by that nomad." Leo pointed out. "That doesn't make you useless."

Heero grunted in affirmation, but didn't say anything else.

* * *

King Ozric looked back at the odd travelers with him. They were clearly not from these parts. Still, maybe his best sages and sorcerers could determine where they came from, if not find a way to send them back home. The brown-haired young man looked uncomfortable with his surroundings, and the fact these travelers had such powerful weapons, like those of the gods, it made him think. Were they from the gods? _'It cannot be. The gods have not yet sent down messengers. Or _are_ they the messengers? Hmmm... Yes... I should have the my mages and sorcerers look into if they truly are from the_ gods.'

The group continued on their way, but King Ozric had a mission to complete when he got these weary travelers back to his kingdom. Perhaps they could help him if he offered them a way back to their homes. _'Yes... that seems to be a fair trade.'_

* * *

**Present time**

_**Battlefield**_

Metabee could hear Rex's exclamations of "THE BUTTS ARE LOOSE!" from just behind his and Ikki's position ahead of them.

Looking back, the KBT-3M had finally had enough. "Ikki! We _need_ to use it!" He snapped to his Meda-Fighter/brother.

Ikki came to a stop. "Are you _nuts_?!"

"No, but we can't stand a chance of running if those Butt things are chasing us." Metabee replied seriously. "It may be our best bet of saving Rex and Six as well."

Ikki sighed, knowing his Medabot/brother had a point. "Yeah... you're right."

The two brothers then turned and ran past Six and Rex, surprising the two of them. "Hey!" Six called out after the two of them. "Get back here! It's too dangerous!"

Metabee shot a glance back over his shoulder at Six, a cocky smirk visible on his face. "We know, but your friend there is more important! We'll buy you some time to get away from here!"

"How?!" Six demanded.

"Just go!" Ikki shouted back before the two brothers came to a stop in front of the charging butts.

"Ready, Ik?" Metabee asked as he looked back at Ikki with that cocky smirk on his face, his faceplate slamming on over his mouth.

"You know it, dim-bot." Ikki replied with a matching smirk before the two of them faced the oncoming butt hoard.

Both of them then closed their eyes/optics and focused in on their bond, the link they shared, the Compatibility Rate Factor, their Synchronization. Slowly, a blueish glowing aura began to creep over both of them, causing Ikki's hair and jacket to move in an unseen breeze. Beside him, the same glowing blue aura began to creep up Metabee's body as well. Within seconds, the glowing blue auras had completely surrounded the two of them, with Ikki's hair and jacket no longer moving. Ikki then opened his mind to Metabee's processor, just as Metabee d opened his processor to Ikki's mind. While it was assumed a Synchro pair could read their partner's mind, it was in reality just a myth, as the Synchronization only allowed intentions, emotions, thoughts, and feelings to be picked up on. That was what was happening at that moment. Ikki could sense the Medabot's intentions, feelings, thoughts, and emotions, just as Metabee could sense the same for the human.

At the same time, a slight glow began to emit from Metabee's back Medal hatch, slowly growing brighter and brighter with each passing second. The golden glow began to creep over Metabee's body, merging with the blue aura to give it a golden and blue colored hue.

Then, their eyes/optics snapped open at the same time, revealing the green glow of Metabee's right optic while Ikki's left eye had the iris as a _glowing green_ color. As soon as that happened, both of them spoke in sync.

_"MEDA-FORCE BARRAGE!"_

The KBT-3M-type aimed his guns before firing. As soon as he had his guns pointed, he let loose with the Meda-Force. The golden blasts of energy that came out from Metabee's arm-mounted guns were not so much large as they were powerful, but despite not having the size to _look_ powerful, the fact the energy was so _concentrated_ was what showed Rex and Six just how powerful this ace-in-the-hole really was. The golden energy beams, upon contact with the human butts, _vaporized_ them. And since the energy was so concentrated into one beam, as soon as it hit the middle of the butt pack, the explosion that came was _immense_.

Six saw this and realized what the two were trying to do. _'They're_ insane_!'_ Six thought as he struggled to get Rex out of the explosion's radius. _'They really intend to take out the cavern of butts with _themselves_ still inside!'_

Rex looked back in concern. "Will... they get out...?"

Six looked down. "I'm not too sure..." He admitted at last. "But... they were willing to risk themselves so we could get out alive. We have to at least honor that last wish..."

* * *

In his lair, Van Kleiss was smirking as he saw the two newcomers who had infiltrated his lab before unleashing that same power again. He had a bug trying to analyze it, and it seemed to be going well. He was at his computer, waiting to see what the data would say. However, as the images and stats came up, something seemed to be wrong. There was very little on its measurable state, like how much power it had, and what its source was. Van Kleiss frowned as he tried to anaylze the power, but when he did, that was when the screen changed from showing the battle to only showing black lines and a blaring red message he did not expect to see at all: _ERROR_.

"What in the name of EVO?!" Van Kleiss bellowed in rage as he slammed a fist down on the console. "_How_ could there be an error?!"

Van Kleiss then regained himself. "No matter. It's just one setback. I'm sure my bug caught the power output anyway." He waited until the screen returned to normal, which took no more than 90 seconds. However, when the images returned, all Van Kleiss could see was a collapsed cavern, with only the remains of the Butts seen amongst the rocks. "What?!" Van Kleiss was baffled at how those two had managed to defeat the Butts.

In his stupor, Van Kleiss never noticed Six pulling two forms from the remains of the collapsed cavern, both of whom were passed out.

* * *

Agent Six grumbled to himself, having managed to get Rex into another cavern tunnel before rushing back to rescue the two crazy brothers. He had managed to get the two of them out of there just in time, but only thanks to his quick reflexes and training. Now though, the brothers were out cold and would not be going anywhere for a while it seemed.

With another sigh, Agent Six finally got Ikki and Metabee back to where Rex was waiting. "Are they okay?!" Rex asked in concern as he watched the older man set Ikki against the rock wall while Metabee was against the same wall, next to Ikki.

"I see no injuries on the boy, and his robotic 'brother' seems to have light damages, at least what I can tell from the dents anyway." Agent Six replied. "But we will be able to tell better when the boy wakes up, as he knows his brother better than anyone else."

Rex nodded, glad those butts were finally defeated. "That was insane... I didn't think they would actually _do_ that..."

"Well, regardless, they took a big risk, and nearly paid for it with their lives." Six grumbled. "And it looks like we owe them one for that."

* * *

**GrimmFall**

Nexus Federation Armed Forces Rear Admiral (Lower-Half) Yzak Joule couldn't believe _he_ was going to meet with this Mayor Sebben guy, but if Zala had deemed him the best to go, then he had no choice but to comply. He was currently wearing his white flight suit, his helmet on and everything. He was also flying the Duel II to the mayor's office. _'Why did Zala have to _have_ me take my machine?!'_ Yzak thought to himself in his anger. He figured he should let his temper fly now before he got to the mayor's office, lest he cause an incident that would make them out to be the bad guys.

Looking out of his machine's cockpit via the main monitors, Yzak could see the office of the mayor coming closer and closer.

He took in a deep breath before letting it out. _'Well, now or never, I suppose...'_ Yzak flared his machine's thrusters before coming in for a landing. He could see many police, Hunters and Huntresses, and heroes all gathering around to see if he was an enemy. Many had weapons pointed at his machine, but none opened fire. Yzak had a feeling they were only holding back on firing because of the symbol on his machine's right shoulder guard, that being the golden Z, V-chevron, four pointed star, and wings combination that made up the insignia of Zero Squadron.

Yzak had the Duel II kneel down, and he powered down the systems before he opened his cockpit. He grabbed the zip-line and rode it down to the ground. Without even having Newtype abilities, the rear-admiral could tell they were waiting to see if he would make a hostile move. As soon as he felt his left foot touch the ground, Yzak stepped off the zip-line and held up a hand to signify he meant no harm. He then pointed at his helmet before reaching up and grasping it at the sides. With everyone there watching, Yzak removed his helmet, revealing his face for the first time since they had arrived in this dimension.

* * *

White Tiger, one of the heroes who had assembled when the odd humanoid machine had been spotted flying in towards the mayor's office, was shocked to see the famed 'Faceless One' reach up and _remove its face_, which was revealed to actually be a helmet of some kind instead. As soon as the helmet was removed, White Tiger could see the face of the person before them, it being a young man with striking features and blue eyes. He had on his head a white head covering of some kind that had black spots on the sides, covering his ears, and a black stripe down the top part that went down the back of the head covering.

Beside White Tiger, Chief Fizz was eying the young man with suspicion on his face. "Well, I was not expecting one of the 'Faceless Ones' to actually _have_ a face."

The young man's eyes narrowed before he spoke up. "I merely came here to talk to Mayor Sebben. I am not here for any hostile intentions."

"And yet you came in that... that... _War Man!"_ Chief Fizz bellowed in anger.

The young man clenched his fists at his sides, but he didn't lash out in anger.

* * *

To Yzak, this man was _really_ trying his temper. He was _so_ close to exploding himself and just letting his mouth fly, but that was not what he could do. No, it would make things even worse. This was a situation that required diplomacy, not anger or losing one's cool.

Taking in a deep breath, Yzak let it out to calm his temper. "I only brought my '_Mobile Suit'_ as a means of self-defense, and a method of transportation." He retorted, putting an emphasis on the true classification of his machine.

The man before him frowned before he looked Yzak up and down again. "I'm afraid we will have to frisk you down for anything that could be of harm to us, or even the Mayor and his staff."

Yzak tensed up, wary now. If this man and his forces wanted to 'frisk him', that usually meant they wanted to arrest him instead. As if testing him and his forces, Yzak slowly reached for the zip-line, only for the forces around him to raise their guns at the rear-admiral in response.

Realizing he was in a tight spot, Yzak withdrew his hand from the zip-line. "I will say this again. I mean no harm to you or your mayor. I merely wish to speak with him."

"We will be the ones who determine that." The man, who was likely the chief of police here, said sternly as he walked towards Yzak. "Now, just let us search you for any weapons and we can get this over with."

"Or will you just arrest me instead?" Yzak countered. "Because, if I recall right, I am not from this dimension, and that could be interpreted as an act of war against my dimension."

The police chief was floored by Yzak's admission to not being from this dimension. "Ah... Well..." The police chief reached up and rubbed the back of his head. "I mean... there _are_ other dimensionally displaced victims... so... you... were also displaced?"

"No." Yzak replied. "My ship and its crew came here on our own free will." He then narrowed his eyes a bit. "You _know_ of the other dimensionally displaced people here?"

"Well... I _have_ probably worked with them at a few points..." The police chief admitted at last.

Yzak was silent before he spoke. "So, what are you going to do?"

The police chief finally raised up his walkie-talkie and spoke into it. "Tell all forces to stand down. This young man is not to be attacked."

Yzak then looked at the police chief. "Does this mean you will be taking me to see the mayor then?"

A sharp gasp from behind him made Yzak spin around, only to see Flay there. "Y-Yzak?!"

"Ah, is that why you came here then?" A male voice asked, surprising Yzak and making him turn to see who had spoken.

* * *

For Mayor Sebben, he was not at all surprised that one of the machines of that cloaked ship was here. In fact, he was surprised they had not shown up sooner. He mentally smirked at seeing the pilot jump at his voice.

Beside the mayor, Flay was in surprise at seeing her fellow pilot there.

The young man, revealed to be named Yzak, was just as surprised. "Flay!" He exclaimed before he realized he had said her real name and he cursed to himself.

"Is that why you came here, and with your machine no less?" Mayor Sebben asked as he eyed the pilot carefully.

"It was better than just walking here..." Yzak admitted. "What with all of these crazies running around, namely Satyra."

Mayor Sebben gave a curt nod. "I see. Well, I see no harm in speaking to you, as long as you can be sure your machine is locked down."

Yzak looked at Flay before glancing back at the mayor. "If it is okay, Flay can sit inside my machine while we talk. This way I can take her back to our ship when we are done."

The mayor gave a smile. "That sounds reasonable."

Mayor Sebben waved the young man to follow him, only for Yzak to give Flay a nod for her to board the machine in front of them.

* * *

Once he was with the mayor and sure Flay was save inside the Duel II, Yzak finally reached up and removed his 'Snoopy Cap', revealing his shoulder-length silver hair. He stuffed the cap into his helmet before walking up to the mayor, who was now facing him directly. "I came here on orders from one of our commanders, mainly because of a direct attack on our ship."

Mayor Sebben raised an eyebrow. "Your ship was attacked?"

"Someone stole some of our components we need to be able to get back to our dimension as well as the Energon Crystals we used to power the drive." Yzak replied sternly. "While we can replace the components, the power source is the one thing we are in need of."

Mayor Sebben frowned. "Do you have video of the attack?"

Yzak narrowed his eyes. "Yes... we do. But... we have... another reason I came here as well."

"And what would that be?" Mayor Sebben asked in curiosity now.

The rear-admiral let out a sigh before he opened his sharp blue eyes. "Our commanding officer has gone missing through an odd white portal of some kind." Yzak admitted at last. "And... our top commanders all agreed you might be able to help us."

* * *

**Unknown Location**

Wing Saber, Shroud, Arcee, and Springer were all making their way down the forest, keeping close together. Wing Saber was between Shroud and Springer with Arcee just ahead of Shroud. The foursome soon found a decently sized area for them to rest at.

Springer could see how Wing Saber kept glancing in his direction, keeping him at the back of the group. While normally something Springer didn't mind, the fact _he_ was at the back of the pack so to speak made him wonder if Wing Saber _wanted_ him to be the first to get attacked by a Grimm sneaking up on them. That was certainly what it felt like anyway.

Arcee finally came to a stop and sat down on the ground, feeling her peds aching from so much walking. "Ow..."

"Is everything okay?" Wing Saber asked as he looked back at Arcee.

"My peds hurt..." Arcee groaned as she began to rub one of her 'feet' as the humans called them.

Wing Saber sighed. "Well, when the sun rises tomorrow, we will be on the move again, but from the air this time, so you can get the rest you need once that happens."

Arcee gave a relieved smile at the news. "Good... I don't know how much longer I could take walking."

Springer looked at Shroud. "Well... if it is not a problem, I could-" He was cut off as Wing Saber spoke up.

"Take Arcee when we are in flight." Wing Saber said. "Shroud will be with me."

Springer wanted to protest, as his mouth was already open, but after a second thought, he closed his mouth and gave a salute. "Yes, sir." He was not willing to risk angering a mech who was a walking arsenal.

Shroud gave a smirk at Wing Saber's team assignments. "Teaming us up then, Mr. Smash and Bash?"

Wing Saber shot Shroud a grin that was all too cheeky. "Just as you are Ms. Blow up the Base~!"

Springer felt like gagging at the retorts between the two.

As the foursome settled down for the night, Wing Saber decided to take the first watch. Arcee and Springer were soon in recharge while Wing Saber stood guard. However, he was not alone and he knew it. He glanced to his left, just as he spoke to the femme who was sitting on the ground.

"You aren't tired, Shroud?" Wing Saber asked as Shroud grunted.

"I got plenty of recharge a while back." The black and grey femme countered.

Wing Saber just returned his gaze to the sky above. "Mmkay…"

Shroud then looked at her mission partner. "Why _did_ you team us up anyway?" She asked as she gave the mech a look. "It can't be just because of our past."

"Let's just say I don't trust Springer to keep his servos to himself." Wing Saber replied seriously.

Shroud gave her companion a look. "Really? I could handle him myself if he tried anything, you know."

The flying mech just grunted. "Even still, the decision remains. Besides, I'm not going to be able to protect Arcee all the time, and Springer would keep you from fighting."

"What unit is that green mech with anyway?" Shroud asked as she looked back at Wing Saber again.

"He said he was a Wrecker." Wing Saber replied as Shroud cocked an optic ridge in surprise.

"A Wrecker? You mean one of those spec-ops units?" She asked as Wing Saber shook his helm.

"No, I mean a unit that does the work most Autobots would _never_ think of doing." The flying mech explained. "_That_ kind of work, if you know what I mean..."

Shroud's optics widened in surprise. "You're kidding..."

"No, I'm not." Wing Saber sighed. "But... that's another reason I assigned him to Arcee. Springer can do a better job of protecting her than I can."

Shroud gave Wing Saber a smirk. "Says the one who is all gung-ho about fighting."

"Hey, I ain't a sparkling sitter for femmes who can't fight very well." Wing Saber retorted. "I would rather fight the enemy head on than deal with being a helpess femme's protection detail."

Shroud just busted out laughing at Wing Saber's comment. "And that's why you and I make such a good team! You go in all guns a-blazing and I sneak in while the enemy is distracted! Same with the vice-versa!"

Wing Saber laughed at her response, because it was true and he knew it well. "I guess it is."

* * *

**Esebu and the Powerpuffs find out Mojo Jojo's secret for his prisoners while Zero Squadron finally decides to meet with Mayor Sebben. Heero is stuck in the past with Leo and Cree, trying to figure out what to do next while Ikki and Metabee take out the Butts with the Meda-Force. At the same time, Shroud, Wing Saber, Springer, and Arcee settle down for the night. What happens next? Read on to find out~! :3 Don't forget to read and review! ^^**


	21. Tale of Two Heights X

**Here is another chapter~! :3**

**GCD: You will see~! :3**

**DN Works: You will. :3**

**merendinoemiliano: Glad you liked it! :3**

**nightmaster000: Thank you for the long review~! :3**

**Lord Maximus: Thanks! :D**

**Titanic X: Glad you like it. :)**

**Note: If any readers have an account, then please review using your account please. If you are too lazy to log in, then at least leave your account name so I can know who you are. If any reader does not have an account, then **_PLEASE_** use a **consistent - i.e. THE SAME** name when reviewing, **_not_** the usual 'Guest', so I can respond in a more personal manner, as the name 'Guest' does not seem too personable to me.**

_***"Cybertronian"***_

* * *

**_File 17: Coordinators_**

_Coordinators are genetically enhanced humans who were created before being born. By taking a Natural fetus and doing genetic modifications, a first-generation Coordinator is born. Any first-gen Coordinators who marry other Coordinators will have a pure-bred second generation of Coordinators and so on. Sadly, there is a known genetic defect/flaw in third-generation Coordinators and beyond in that they are almost completely sterile, meaning no new Coordinators can be born naturally. While the best Coordinator scientists threw hundreds of millions, if not _billions_ of dollars into solving the issue, it was a team of Naturals and Coordinators working together who solved the dilemma._

**_File 18: Genetic Enhancement__ Packages_**

_After the genetic flaw in third-generation Coordinators regarding their birth rates was discovered, Coordinator scientists tried to correct the flaw in many ways, but each one only led to staving it off for a brief time. Then, in CE 2276, a small four-person company known as Genetech Labs found the source of the genetic flaw of low birth rates and came up with a solution to fix it. The source of the flaw was due to using too many genetic enhancements, namely in the... procreation... department. A Coordinator's 'performance in the bedroom' was found to be relative to their birth rates, and it was found it was decreasing the birth rate for each generation of Coordinators. Thus, Genetech Labs came up with a solution in the form of genetic enhancement packages, or how many, and what, genes could be enhanced to create a new Coordinator._

_The genetic enhancement packages that resulted are as follows: Gene Enhancement package A where all genes are enhanced, but this is the gene package that creates the sterility issue in successive generations of Coordinators._

_Gene Enhancement package H where only select genes are enhanced, namely the ones related to health. This gene package leaves the 'performance in the bedroom' genes alone, meaning this gene package will allow Coordinators to have children without sterility issues for generations to come; this gene package is still in its early years, and thus, every Coordinator born from this gene modification package will be observed to see if it really works as intended. These Coordinators have the full enhancement package save for the 'performance' increase._

_Gene Enhancement package D is where only certain genes are modified, thus creating what are known as Enhanced, or half-Coordinators. This genetic type can also be born from a Coordinator and a Natural marrying one another. This one is becoming widely popular due to the cost-effectiveness of it, and because it can allow Naturals to be on par with Coordinators in some areas while still being Natural-based humans in other areas. If an Enhanced marries another Enhanced, then their child has a 25% chance of being born a Coordinator; sterility rates of Coordinators born this way will have to be monitored through consecutive generations to see if this method of birth for Coordinators is also a viable way to overcome the sterility defect._

* * *

**Unknown time**

Heero, Leo, Cree, Rolf, and Aisling looked on in shock, but Heero was more so. He had been back in the past before, but now he was in the future?! He shook his head. _'Okay... this is getting too crazy for me... Where did we end up? Or should I say... _when_ did we end up?'_ However, what _really_ threw him for a loop was the fact that there was a young man... or was it boy, who looked like him, save for the eye color being Lunamaria's. _'Andy _why_ does this young man... boy... look like a clone of me with Luna's eyes?'_

Heero was _sure_ he had seen it all, but being thrown through time was beginning to show him that maybe there was stuff he had _yet_ to really see and find out for himself.

* * *

**Present Time**

Yzak was with Mayor Sebben as they talked. "So, you think I can help?" Mayor Sebben asked as he handed Yzak a cup of tea.

"In a sense." Yzak replied, just setting the cup of tea down on the table of Mayor Sebben's office; the mayor had deemed it safer to talk in his office, so they had headed there and were now safe from prying eyes.

"And how do you hope I can help?" The mayor asked as Yzak growled, but he kept his cool.

"We have heard you are quite well connected with others in different fields here." The rear admiral explained. "We were hoping one of those fields would involve time travel or something similar. Even though we have dimensional jump technology, we have not yet figured out time travel and frankly, I doubt we _want_ to."

Mayor Sebben took that information in with a somber nod. "Yes, that is best, for not everyone can handle the prospect of time travel, let alone knowing what is going to occur and how it comes about." He said as he reached up with a hand and touched his eye patch. "Such is the burden of one who knows indeed."

Yzak frowned before he remembered what Cree had told them about Mayor Sebben and this Gem of Sight. "You _knew_ we would be coming..., didn't you?"

Mayor Sebben gave Yzak a wry smile. "I cannot say, except for perhaps I did, perhaps I didn't. One must never reveal information on the future, lest it never come to pass."

Yzak frowned at the remark. _'It seems like the mayor has to withhold information on what can occur in the future, because if that information gets known, then the future could never come to pass. Is this part of being able to see the future?'_ Yzak thought to himself; he was aware that certain Newtypes and SEED-types of high-ranking, Class A and up, could see visions of stuff that was about to happen, but those people had never had those future events fail to come about. One such instance was with Commander la Flaga. He had experienced a vision in his mind's eye of a machine about to fire on Heero's machine and getting a killing blow. Commander la Flaga had managed to intercept the shot and save Heero, thus preventing Heero's fate.

The rear admiral leaned forwards. "You have the Gem of Sight, which means you can see the future. But it carries a heavy burden of not being able to reveal the events that could bring about a better future, lest they fail to come about, right?"

Mayor Sebben chuckled. "You are truly quick to catch on."

"We were told about it by Cree. She and Leo were with our commander when he was sent through that portal." Yzak revealed. "However, that means vital information is withheld, and that brings up a problem. If we are to help you, we need information, and well... we can't exactly work at our best here if we can't get the most vital information, which you hold."

"I cannot reveal anything about future events, lest they never come to pass, for time itself will fight back against us." Mayor Sebben said seriously.

Yzak gave a bit of a smirk. "I'm not asking you to reveal certain events to us or anything like that. What we want is _information_. Information on anything that could be vital, stuff that we can _work_ with. Like information on Satyra, their members, etc. What businesses support them, what politicians they support, things like that. Information on these Fallen would be helpful as well; the woman who attacked Maius Three had red eyes that flashed when angered, so we theorize she may have been a Fallen."

"The information you seek may not be able to be given to you in the event it may be vital for certain events to occur." Mayor Sebben pointed out.

"Since when has that stopped us?" Yzak countered. "You have to understand, Mayor, we are a Special Forces Operations unit. We _will_ find a way to get the information, even if it may be vital for certain future events."

"Even if it makes you out to be the bad guys?" The mayor retorted.

Yzak held his tongue in check before he sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose in exasperation. "Look, if something will get us information, we will do it. However, we have a standard we are held to; no matter what, if we feel the long-term benefits outweigh the short-term risks, we will do the action. Like sending in our infiltration team. It was only a short-term mission, but the benefits will work out for the better in the long-term."

Mayor Sebben took in this information with a neutral expression. "So, you _will_ do questionable things, but only if it has long-term benefits for you?"

"Not us, but others." Yzak clarified. He removed his hand from his face and looked directly at the mayor. "In the end, the information we have gathered can be used to help others."

"Oh? How so?" Mayor Sebben asked as he raised an eyebrow inquisitively. Oh, he knew how, but he wanted to hear how Yzak explained it.

Yzak leaned back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest. "We have information one of our infiltration team members gathered on some villains from here. Does the name Katz sound familiar?"

"Ah, yes." Mayor Sebben replied. "I am well aware of him."

Hearing that, Yzak growled to himself. _'It seems the mayor is already aware of Katz then...'_ He decided to try a different tactic then instead of the information being helpful card. "And I was hoping we could help bring him down somehow."

Yzak's words made Mayor Sebben pause in his thoughts. He looked at the pilot with intrigue. "And how do you hope to do that?"

"One of our infiltrators fought Katz and held his own against him." Yzak replied. "If we can help find Katz and bring him in, then perhaps you can get some information yourselves."

Of course, Yzak was prying for information on who Katz was involved with, if anyone at all, and was trying very hard to not make it obvious. _'If only General Allen was here... _she_ would be able to pull this off with ease!'_ Yzak thought to himself.

Mayor Sebben no doubt had the foreknowledge of what Yzak was trying to do thanks to that eye of his.

Yzak frowned in thought. _'But maybe... can he tell _how_ a certain future will come about?'_

* * *

**Nowhere Mountains**

Ikki and Metabee were resting after their little stunt against those 'Butts', although they had yet to wake up. Or so it seemed, as Ikki groaned and regained consciousness after a while. Metabee was next to follow. "Ugh... Ouch... Okay... Either we died in that blast, or someone saved us..." Ikki muttered to himself as he rubbed his aching head.

The KBT-3M-type Medabot poked a dent he had on his helm. "OW!" Metabee yelped at the pain he felt from that dent. "Okay... _Definitely_ not dead..." The Medabot grumbled.

Looking around, Metabee was quick to note that he and Ikki were not in that cavern they had caused to collapse anymore. "Wha… How did we get out of that cave-in?"

A familiar voice made the two brothers look back behind themselves. "While a clever tactic, you two could have died back there." Behind them was Agent Six with Rex beside him. "If not for my heading back there, you two wouldn't be here right now."

"You saved us, Six?" Ikki asked.

Six gave a nod. "Yes, but now you owe us an explanation of what that power of yours you used was."

Metabee and Ikki glanced at each other before Ikki sighed. "Oh boy... This is going to take a while to explain..." Ikki sighed.

* * *

**Townsville**

He drew back his fist.

As he did so, the shovel guard slammed down over his clenched fingers to shield them from severe damage.

His entire frame was poised to strike, and for a brief moment, he let himself revel in the sheer power of his frame. The very sensations of the hydraulics, servos, and systems moving. The way the hydraulic fluids rushed through his tubing. The rapid revs of the engine in his chest. The power of his joints. The way the wires, fuel lines, and coolant lines were strung tightly as he waited for a brief second more.

And then he struck.

A loud roar tore itself free from his vocalizer as he lashed out with all his strength, his fist colliding with the strong metal of the observatory and pushing it in. A dent was visible on the side and he drew back his fist for a second strike. He punched again, feeling the pistons on his hand guard push down, transferring the force of his punch into the impact, denting the wall even further. A third time he drew back his fist and he shoved his fist forward with a mighty bellow. His Aura seethed as it began to swirl around his frame, covering his fist in its tri-colored glow.

Then impact.

The blue and white train's fist slammed once more into the barrier of the observatory's steel wall, colliding with it... and a loud rending sound tore into his audios as the blow finally caved in the wall. A massive hole was torn in the metal, and Esebu pulled his fist out, peering in and flaring his optics.

Mojo looked up from his prisoner and he let out a surprised screech as he stared at the sight of the _Shinkalion_ leader glaring at him imposingly.

"You... will... release... them... _NOW!_" he growled, his optics flaring brightly at the last word.

The monkey Mobian looked around, as if scared or concerned.

And then he sneered.

"Hah! As if!" he cackled. "For I, Mojo Jojo, am about to show you and the Powerpuffs my greatest invention!"

Esebu was startled. Another invention?!

Mojo proceeded to reach into his cape and he pulled out a small device that looked a lot like a detonator...!

The train's optics flashed in shock as he pulled back as Mojo pressed the button, only for a series of small explosions to rock the observatory. He had to grab onto the metallic wall with both hands so as to not fall off. He shot his optics around to try and see where the explosions were coming from. But the more he looked, the more his confusion grew. He didn't see any explosions at the base, and it was firmly anchored into the volcano's sides. So then, what was causing it to move...?

Esebu dimmed his optics a shade as he shifted, trying to see what was happening.

A second round of explosions startled him and he glanced around, trying to find the source. He tuned his audios to their highest sensitivity, and instantly regretted it. A harsh hissing sound was coming from just two meters to his right, and it was really disrupting his ability to think.

He wished he could just tell Mojo to stop shunting gas waste from the volcano out the vents on the sides of the place. It was annoying as hell, and it made it hard to think. But then he grunted as the building segment he was clinging to suddenly shook again, and he gasped as his feet were dislodged from the volcano's top rim. His legs swung wildly as he tried to keep a firm grip on the side of the observatory, only for his fingers to start sliding, leaving trails in the metal wall.

"Oh, scrap!" he moaned.

This was not good.

Especially as the hissing sound was getting louder and louder, like so many little metallic feet...

And then Bubbles let out a surprised screech of terror. "_Spiders!_" Esebu's helm snapped up as he heard this, and then his engine hitched in his chest at the sight of several bugs coming his way.

But they were not bugs.

Oh, no.

They were mechanical. And they did resemble spiders. Similar to the Rope Spider he had first faced back during his first year as a _Shinkalion_, but smaller and more like an arachnid than the Kaiju breed. Esebu glanced up to try and see where they were coming from, and he gasped as he stared at the holes open on the walls. And the spiders were coming out of them. A quick glance to his left showed more of the same. And the explosions?

Merely a distraction, Esebu realized with a growl of frustration. To hide the subtle swishing open of the doors to the exit holes.

His optics dimmed a shade as he gripped the side of the observatory, digging his thick metal fingers into the sides and gouging the sturdy metal.

Esebu glanced over at the hole in the wall he had made, and he scrambled back over, peering back in and his optics flashed in shock as he saw Mojo bolting for the exit. "Oh, no you don't!" he roared, reaching in with one hand.

However, the Mobian whirled around to escape his massive hand and he screeched in triumph as he slipped out the door. "Dammit!" Esebu muttered.

The robot lay on the table, its limbs sparking a bit and its optics dark. Esebu couldn't bother even a second to study it because at that moment, the swarm of metallic spiders came scurrying towards him, metallic mandibles moving as if ready to devour flesh. The blue and white _Shinkalion_ pulled his arm out of the hole and slowly twisted his frame around, trying to keep himself plastered against the wall as the bugs started to attack.

He whipped his arm out and smashed a bunch of them away with one sweep of his hand. He looked to the right and more of them came at him. He gripped the side of the building with his other hand and repeated the same motion from before. But the downside was that the bugs were coming from all sides. A growl escaped Esebu's vocalizer as he realized he was trapped. He couldn't keep this up, lest those metal arachnids start to nibble away at his armor. Blossom meanwhile was trying with Bubbles to take out as many of the spiders as they could, using their eye beams. Red blasts of energy struck those that were coming close to the _Shinkalion_ leader, and he flinched as one barely missed his helm.

"Esebu! You okay?" Blossom called as she swooped past, firing off a slew of red beams from her eyes.

"Yeah. These things just don't know when to quit!" he remarked. He swung his right arm again, smashing a bunch more and sending them falling to the ground. "But we have to get the prisoners out of here!"

"Bubbles can handle that!" Blossom stated. She stopped firing her eye beams long enough to gather up her breath. "Brace yourself!"

Esebu did as she asked, getting an idea of what was coming next. He tensed his frame as he huddled over the hole, trying to keep any cold air from going inside. Blossom closed her eyes and blew hard, unleashing a blast of icy air that struck the side of the observatory, freezing it - and the spiders - solid. Or at least covering it in a sheet of ice. Esebu could feel the ice creeping over his frame, and his internal temperature began to drop. He stayed in place though, hoping to Glob that the freezing cold would end.

Then, just as quickly as it had begun, it ended.

Esebu could feel the ice covering his frame as he shivered, the thin sheet beginning to crack with the motion. He took the chance to finally push back, shattering the ice around his frame. The hole he had made was exposed once more, and he turned to face the blonde-haired Powerpuff. "G-Go!" he stammered, fighting the cold.

She nodded and streaked inside in a blue blur of light.

Esebu finally turned his head to look at Blossom as she hovered down. "I'm sorry, but this was the only thing I could think of," she admitted, noticing his shivering.

"For-Forget it," he rasped. "I've b-b-been worse."

The red-haired heroine cocked an eyebrow, but let it go as she watched Esebu slowly reach a shaking hand in and grasping the robot on the table gently. His thick metal fingers gingerly curled around its body and he slowly lifted it, as if tenderly handling a young kitten. Blossom was surprised to see how gently he was handling the machine, but she figured it had to be because he was used to being around organics. She had no idea that he was actually terrified of crushing something so helpless. He slowly pulled his arm out of the hole, holding the robot in one massive hand.

Now he could see it clearly.

Esebu frowned in his thoughts as his optics dimmed a shade. He could see that it was primarily blue and dark blue, with grey-blue tints to its armor. Its optics were a dark shade of red, indicating it was offline, and much to his surprise it had a mouth. On one arm were two yellow blades...

A chill raced through his systems as he gasped. _Now_ he knew where Mojo had gotten the idea of the Drill Breaker from. He was holding the answer in the palm of his hand.

"Blossom!"

Bubbles' panicked voice caught the attention of both the heroine and _Shinkalion_. The two snapped their gaze towards the door at the other end of the lab, and it was blown open as Bubbles came streaking through, carrying the last two prisoners by their hands. Her eyes were wide as Mojo came back in, this time wielding a large bazooka. "You will not take them!" he screamed.

"Just try us!" Esebu snapped as he peered in, flashing his optics.

Blossom leaned in, and with a deep breath, she let loose with a blast of icy air from her mouth. Mojo was caught off guard by the sudden attack as he slipped on the icy floor. He landed on his butt, the bazooka flying from his grip and landing on his head, shoving the thick helmet he wore over his exposed brain down over his eyes.

Esebu had to struggle to keep from laughing at the sight of the monkey Mobian as he tried to pull it over with little success. He turned back to Bubbles as she came out of the hole, hovering close to the train. "Let's get these three to safety," he said, looking at the injured robot lying on his palm.

The two heroines nodded before they flew off. Esebu, on the other hand, positioned himself and sprang off the side of the observatory, landing on the side of the volcano and sliding down it, using his treads to grip as best he could. The trip down took much less time than it took.

Within a few minutes, the trio had arrived at ground level, much to the surprise of everyone present. A few people were taking photos of the three as Esebu knelt and placed the damaged robot on the ground as gently as he would an innocent babe. He then crouched on the balls of his metal feet as the two girls - one human and one machine - were placed down beside the injured machine. The human female screeched as she ran over. "_ROKUSHO!_"

Esebu mentally arched a brow, but he filed the name away for later.

"Miss Erika! We do not know whether he was reprogrammed or not!" the sailor-girl type robot exclaimed in a female voice.

The girl, Erika apparently, shot a glare at the femme. "I don't care, Brass!" she shouted. "He's hurt, and we need to get him help!"

The female robot, apparently named Brass, Esebu noted, frowned, her pink eye-like optics narrowing before she glanced to the downed robot. And the longer she stared, the more she got worried. Now that they were safe, he did need help.

But the only question was, where? And who could they trust here?

Esebu finally stood. "I have to go," he said. "That fight really wore me out." He sagged his shoulders, trying to put on an air of exhaustion. In reality, his frame was still operating at near maximum capacity, but for the sake of his cover, he had to return to human form as soon as possible. Especially if the girls were to return to school, or bring these three to their house.

Blossom glanced up at him. "Well, okay. Thanks for your help," she said, holding out a hand. Esebu jerked a bit in surprise, but then he extended a digit from his right hand and Blossom took it. "We'll be seeing you around, then?"

Esebu nodded. "Yes. But only until we find Buttercup," he said.

The two heroines nodded. With that, Esebu turned and bolted, leaving the five behind.

* * *

**GrimmFall**

On the _Consititution_, Athrun was running through possible scenarios as to what could have happened to Heero. As far as he knew, the portal could have taken him to a dimension where _nothing_ could escape from! That thought sent shivers down his spine and the admiral shook his head. _'No... There's no way it was to a different dimension__. The temporal waves were far too oriented towards time manipulation...'_ Then a thought crossed into his mind. _'Wait... what if it wasn't a dimensional portal... but a _temporal_ portal? That means Heero was sent either forwards in time or backwards in time!'_ Then the thought of having to look _everywhere_ through time made Athrun get a sinking feeling in his gut. _'Then he could be in _any_ time! Ugh... a simple hunt for our commanding officer turns out to be far more difficult than we expected...'_

Athrun sighed as he ran a hand through his dark blue hair.

_'What can we do?'_ The admiral wondered to himself. Realistically, he knew that all the unit could do was wait for Yzak to return with whatever information he could get from Mayor Sebben, but the waiting was making everyone anxious and nervous.

It didn't help everyone was worried about Heero as well...

* * *

Mayor Sebben and Yzak were still talking, but the mayor was not willing to give up the information Yzak sought. However, the rear admiral was more than willing to make a compromise. "Okay, look... if you won't give us the information for nothing, how about we help to bring down Katz when he shows up next?" Yzak offered. "From what we know, he is a threat, but what we want to know is _how_ he is a threat."

Mayor Sebben leaned back in his seat. "I thought you would have obtained that information yourselves."

Yzak frowned before he sighed. "We... have been more focused on the woman who attacked our colony and Satyra." He admitted.

The mayor just sighed. "I'm afraid I cannot give that information."

Yzak growled, but kept his temper. "Okay, look. I came here to work something out so we can get your help on finding our superior officer. If you're not willing to help us, then we can consider you keeping us in the dark on purpose and we can't work with someone who is unwilling to work with us."

Mayor Sebben looked at Yzak. "I need you to understand, Rear Admiral, that if I give you information that you want, it could throw the future out of whack, and lead to a darker future than what is already being headed to."

Yzak glared back. "And is the future _really_ set in stone, Mayor?"

His words threw Mayor Sebben for a loop, making the unenhanced man raise an eyebrow in confusion. "Oh? Are you sure it is not set in stone?"

"One man back in our universe seemed to think the future was set in stone. He even planned for everyone to have their future planned out before birth. He claimed our futures were in our genes and predetermined, so there was no way to fight back against it even if we wanted to." Yzak began as he leaned back in his chair. "And yet, we fought back and proved that our fates, and our futures, were not predetermined. We basically said 'Screw Destiny' and proved him wrong on more than one account." The silver-haired young man then gave a wry smirk. "And in an ironic twist, his plan for humanity was actually called the 'Destiny Plan'."

Mayor Sebben blinked at Yzak's story before he sighed. "What I am talking about is a pre-determined time-line, not a pre-determined life."

"And what happened was _we_ were supposed to _lose_ the first war we experienced." Yzak pointed out. "Humanity was supposed to be wiped out in the First Bloody Valentine War, but we prevented that."

Mayor Sebben blinked. "You are sure humanity in your dimension was _supposed_ to be wiped out?"

Yzak leaned forwards. "We came within _milliseconds_ of being wiped out when the Genesis Cannon used in the First Bloody Valentine War fired at the Earth. It was only because of our superior officer firing at the cannon that we stopped the blast."

Mayor Sebben could detect no attempt at lying from the young man before him. Yzak had a serious look on his face, and no one could deny it was real.

"But that does not explain how you are sure your humanity was supposed to be wiped out." Mayor Sebben pointed out as he leaned back in his chair.

Yzak sighed as he ran a hand over his face and through his shoulder-length silver hair. "That... is where it is complicated..." He admitted. "We are not sure _how_ we know ourselves, but all that we are aware of is that we were supposed to be wiped out at the end of the First BV War."

The mayor frowned to himself, not sure how true the claim was, but something told him that Yzak was not lying. As if in response, his Gem of Sight flared beneath his eye patch, showing how bad things could have gotten if Zero Squadron hadn't come to this universe.

The suddenness of his Gem of Sight flaring threw Mayor Sebben for a loop, but as soon as it had begun, the show of futures without Zero Squadron ended, and Mayor Sebben could only wonder how these people had survived a war that was supposed to wipe them out.

Yzak noticed Mayor Sebben was looking at him in a curious manner. "What?" The rear admiral asked as he raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Nothing." Mayor Sebben said as he removed his gaze from Yzak's form. He then cleared his throat. "So... care to explain a bit about yourself? I have never seen a young human with silver hair before."

Yzak frowned. "Can't that Gem of Sight you have tell you?"

"It could yes, but I would prefer to hear it from you yourself." The mayor replied as he looked at Yzak again.

Yzak sighed. "Before you ask, no, this is _not_ a dye-job. This _is_ my real hair color." He then looked back at the mayor with sharp blue eyes, a color of blue that was unnatural to any human. "I am what is known as a Coordinator, or a genetically enhanced human. My mother is one too. She is what you would call a first-generation Coordinator, or a Coordinator born to Natural parents. Naturals are humans who have not been genetically enhanced before birth, unlike Coordinators. I am a second-generation Coordinator, or a Coordinator born to Coordinator parents."

Mayor Sebben raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? How do Coordinators compare to Naturals?"

Yzak sighed. "Take the example of a Faunus, and remove the animal body parts and instincts. That is the basic physical abilities of a Coordinator. Add in a genius level intellect and an immune system that can fight off all diseases, and you have a human who can surpass a Natural-base human. But that brings me to the topic of the First BV War and its successive war, the Second Bloody Valentine War. Both those 'wars' were about the right of us Coordinators to exist. To sum it up, Naturals wanted to wipe out Coordinators, and a few crazy Coordinators wanted to wipe out the Naturals. In both wars, the Naturals resorted to human experimentation on their own kind to create super soldiers from kids while Coordinators tried to wipe out life on the planet below."

Mayor Sebben was surprised at how devastating the wars were, even if the explanations _were_ summarized. He then remembered that symbol on the message to Satyra. "Hold on... _you_ guys were the ones who sent that message to Satyra, weren't you?"

Yzak gave a smirk. "Yes, we were." He then ran a hand through his silver hair again. "We... take claims of genetic and racial superiority _very_ seriously... _especially_ against those who attack others because of such perceived notions."

"So you sent that message because you have personal experience when it comes to such attitudes, correct?" Mayor Sebben asked.

"We did." Yzak confirmed. "Even though we have gotten past the two wars about genetics and Coordinators, there are _still_ issues with Coordinators and Naturals getting along, but thankfully, those who are against Coordinators and/or Naturals are treated as scum and not even listened to." He then looked up, his eyes holding a serious gleam to them. "The world will _not_ forget the Bloody Valentine Wars any time soon, not when so many lives were lost over a mere 'temper tantrum', you could say."

Mayor Sebben could only give a smirk at that. "You just called two wars that could have wiped out humanity 'temper tantrums'?"

"That's what it basically boiled down to." Yzak countered with a shrug. "All because someone was jealous they were not born as a Coordinator, they killed the first Coordinator, George Glenn. After that, anti-Coordinator laws popped up all over the place." He then became serious again. "And that was when Coordinators moved to Earth orbit, where they assumed they would be safe. Sadly, the colonies developed were being run like medieval kingdoms, and when the colonies broke free and claimed independence, well... that is when the First BV War broke out. Or rather, it broke out a few years after the colonies had gained independence."

That made Mayor Sebben curious now. "How _did_ the colonies gain independence anyway?"

Yzak gave a wry grin here. "The North American Security Alliance, or NASA, for short. This alliance gained the colonies independence, and how did the space colonies repay them? By dropping technology called N-Jammers that prevented nuclear fission from being used."

"It sounds like your space colonies were not very grateful for being given their independence by nations from Earth." Mayor Sebben noted.

"Trust me... the details you are better off not knowing..." Yzak said vaguely. "But yes, that is the basic summary of what we went through all because of someone being jealous of not being born a Coordinator."

* * *

**GrimmFall Park**

Athrun perked up as the sensors of the _Constitution_ suddenly beeped, signaling someone was outside the ship. He reached over and brought up the main cameras on the outside of the ship, only for his eyes to widen. "No way..." He murmured. There, before him on the monitor, were Heero, Leo, and Cree. The ZSIDS chip was reading a direct match with the frequency that Heero's chip normally gave off, so if the chip gave off a direct match, then it was clearly him. They would still have to do a direct genetic match up, but the chip's frequency was the clincher because it was extremely difficult to replicate, if not outright impossible. Athrun then punched the com-line button for the ship-wide communications system.

"Attention all unit members! Admiral Yuy, Leonardo, and Cree Lincoln are outside the ship! I repeat, the admiral has returned! ZSIDS chip match confirmation confirmed! Repeat, ZSIDS chip ID frequency is a direct match!" Athrun exclaimed as soon as he got the green light signaling he was live. As soon as he finished his sentence, Athrun cut the line and activated the communications to Yzak, Flay, and Akira.

* * *

At Mayor Sebben's office, Yzak's earpiece on the Snoopy Cap beeped. Yzak and Mayor Sebben looked at the cap before Yzak put it on and activated the earpiece. "Rear Admiral Joule here."

_"Yzak, it's Athrun. Heero, Cree, and Leonardo have been detected outside the ship. ZSIDS chip ID frequency is a direct match. We will still need to do the genetic test, but if the frequency is a match, well... we can't deny it's him."_ Athrun reported.

Yzak gaped. "Then why did you send me out here?!"

_"Look, even if the Admiral has returned, we can't take a chance of remaining in the dark anymore. We need to be out and about, visible."_ Athrun explained. _"The order change still stands."_

Yzak sighed before nodded. "Very well, I will remain here and see what I can accomplish."

Athrun cut the line as Mayor Sebben gave a smirk. "It seems your admiral returned right on time."

Yzak rolled his eyes. "Yeah, you knew that would happen, I get it."

* * *

_Outer_ _space_

Upon seeing the unknown ships being attacked by what had to be some kind of Grimm, Saber Convoy growled. "Jazz, drop the cloaking. Also, alter our IFF to transmit the Cybertronian Empire frequencies. These guys will need help." However, before the _Primarchial Defender_ could do anything else after Jazz had followed the orders, the ships had fled into a hyperspace jump, which, unfortunately, the _Arc_ was next to.

The wormhole drew in the ship, causing Saber Convoy and his crew to cry out as the ship tumbled around in the wormhole.

"Ugh..." Saber Convoy grunted as he reached out a servo towards the steering console and grabbed the controls before he pulled them around so the ship stopped spinning and faced the direction the other ships were heading in. "This should do it..."

He sighed in relief as the _Arc_ stabilized. Now the question was, did they keep going or find a way out of the wormhole?

* * *

**Saber Convoy and his team are drawn into a wormhole as the ships flee the Hydra Grimm, finding themselves along for the ride. Meanwhile, Mayor Sebben learns the history of Yzak's unit as Heero returns with Cree and Leo. At the same time, Esebu helps save the three prisoners from Mojo Jojo. What happens next? Read on to find out~! :3 Don't forget to read and review! ^^**


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